"No one is useless in this world
Who lightens the burdens of it
For anyone else..."
- Charles Dickens
I had saved this saying that I saw somewhere and came across it recently when going through my word documents. It says exactly what I feel... in another person's words.
So even though many of us "retired oldsters" are no longer contributing to the working world, we do have our uses.
*We can offer moral and physical support to family, friends, and others in need (including our own and neighborhood cats)
*We can lend our ears to those who have something to say
*and our voice to those who want to listen
*We can lend our arms to our grandchildren (in hugs)
*our vehicle to our kids
and
and
*our time to our community
*We can keep in touch with old friends
*and make new ones through outside activities
It's true that we may be old and financially limited, but no, we aren't totally useless...
ps: (a personal update) Thank all of you who commented on my last post and recommended that I check in with a doctor after my little scare. I did just that today and apparently the EKG showed some abnormality (I still say probably nothing), but they are sending me to a cardiologist to check it out.
Fingers crossed it IS nothing, but far better to have things checked out. I hope it won't take long. Here in Canada, much of our health care is covered (not all by any means), but that can mean wait times of months...and months...and months, varying province by province.
ReplyDeleteAs for retired oldsters...Funny, but I've never thought of my elders as being useless. A lifetime of experience isn't useless at all. We ARE an aging society, and it's unfortunate that though people are living longer than ever, and still have so much to offer on every level, our culture continues to revolve around the young. I'm only in my early 50s, but you couldn't pay me to be 30-something again. I sometimes wonder if I'll feel the same if I live to my 70s and beyond...that I wouldn't want to be younger. I hope I get a chance to find out. :-)
I am happy to hear you did go to the doctor to get "it" checked out. And we might be old but we are NOT irrelevant, not in the least! :-)
ReplyDeleteI just read your last post and am happy you had that checked out. Good thoughts go out to you and I hope you are not troubled with that again. I agree with your post. I think everyone has a purpose and is valuable no matter what their age.
ReplyDeleteHope you are ok, wonderful post and reminder to us all to lighten someone else's load with kind words.
ReplyDeleteAh, getting older is full of adjustments.
ReplyDeleteA very good sentiment. Wishing you health.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you went to have the issue checked and I truly hope it is nothing to worry about.
ReplyDeleteLove the quote! It gets more true the older I get.
Whoever said that old people might be useless?
ReplyDeleteThere are far too many young people dependent on old people’s time and even money.
Hope the scare really is nothing much but getting checked out is always good.
Thanks for all your lovely comments. I don't feel useless in the least... if anything, I feel that there's so much to do and so little time to do it. But I have "felt" it said if not in words, in actions (or expressions) and not necessarily directed towards me, but to "oldsters" in general. (IMO) a person can tell if someone has a healthy respect for the aged... and those who don't.
ReplyDelete