Ageing can be exciting but that depends on one’s attitude. [Photo/thecheeseitscold.deviantart.com]
Of all the age groups, it's so easy to forget the old.
The babies are new in the world and taking up a lot of attention, the children are at school, the teenagers are busy acting out and the young and middle-aged adults are working tirelessly.
What is the place of the old? It's important to clarify that old age doesn't mean that an individual is no longer productive.
Maybe they can't do, heavy manual labour but they are rich in experience.
In the legal field, they seem to have so much knowledge.
It's as if they get better with age.
As do lecturers, doctors and engineers.
It's not surprising since the more an individual engages in an activity, the more they master it. Old people matter a lot since they are an important part of a family setup.
From them has been raised children, grand-children and posterity goes on.
They are a strong unifying factor of the family tree.
Age does come with certain challenges.
There is the slowdown of physical abilities.
This can create dependency on other family members. Diseases like Alzheimer's have a risk that increases with age.
A lot of old people have a certain degree of memory loss.
At times they slowed physical abilities and diseases can make them totally dependent on others.
Some old people are not able to be productive. However, their contribution from their previous years gives them a right as any other.
Those that precede us have fought for much in society like independence of the country; media freedom and democracy.
They are not to be considered a burden by society but a representation of an important part of society that is just 'retired'.
If not for anything else, let's respect the old since the difference between them and all others is time. You will be old too. It's nice to keep old people engaged in hobbies, interests, games and even business activities.