Why don’t they value them?

A few mornings ago I had a conversation with some coworkers about how the generation under mine doesn’t value those who are older.

One felt that the hippie movement hurt us. I disagree. . . respectfully.

The government fed us bull stuff and did it over and over again. The grey haired men who were to be leading us were big fat liars. When we realized what was happening all bets were off. Grey haired people were either one of them or suckers for falling for it. So yes the hippie movement did add to it and I without a doubt think that those raised by militant rebellious teens ended up with some big issues where trust is concerned.

The biggest wrongest influence was the ME movement. That’s right the eighties! It was about how we dressed how we ate how we were seen and who we were seen with. Thank God I was in college and then living on my own with very little money and less time to give the eighties much of a real thought. I cared very little for the music and the attitude. I will admit to wearing way too much make up and having big hair. I am after all a girl person.

The hippie movement started it and the ME movement honed the knife so that cutting the ties with your elders was easier.

The conversation started up because one of the women I work with is a bit older than the women in her department. Now I also need to say that she is a bit, well, I was scared of her when I first encountered her. She can quickly put you in your place. I also listened to her and I respected her wisdom. She knows her stuff and she has shown me respect in what I do. I worry when she’s ill unfortunately it’s a lot these days. I once stuck up for her when she was eating something she’s not suppose to and a coworker smarted off about it. She sticks hard to that diet and when she steps off she’s earned it. She is great in telling us to be careful about how we eat and the mistakes that she has made in her life. She has wisdom because she lived it.

Two of the women in her department have the mental capacity of teens in high school. I find that to be very sad because I’d love to work that job. The hours would be hard on me. If I did have that job who do you think I look to for help? You know it the older lady, the one who has worked there for years, the one who knows her way in and out of the computer. The lady who can tell me where anything in the store is and how it works, not the teen minded girls.

I also had a conversation with a younger coworker who has taken a promotion. He said that he had read Solomon and the respected and is learning from his older crew. A glimps of hope in him.

I enjoy my older folks I give them respect because they’ve earned it. Sure some are trying I had to tell a woman several times the same thing the other day and she came back for more information. One of my customers smiled when she interrupted him. I told her when she needed to go and apologized for the interruption he smiled and said she’s probably looking for a cool place to be because her home is hotter. I smiled bigger. I told him that she was a very sweet lady.

I’ll admit at times when I am up to it with craziness at work and some grey haired person demands attention over everyone else I get a bit nettled but I still take care of them as best I can because they’ve earned it.

We need to leave the ME generation behind and teach the young folks to respect and cherish those, us grey haired folks, because soon we will need them. And if they don't step up we are in trouble because we are going to find that we are big bad hospitals alone, rattling around the house alone, starving for life alone and we will miss out because we lived it up and left our older folks in the dust. So put on your big people underwear grow up and show some respect kids or we are going down without the ability to fight.

My hair is decorated . . .still I want my respect ;-}