Medicine Lodge High School
Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Teachers: Devra Parker and Mike Hubka

 

 

 

Everlasting Involvement

By Dawn Walters

12th Grade

 

 

One ordinary day a group of kids were sitting on a bench at the corner of a sidewalk trying to find something of interest to occupy their time.  Then a weak, old man approached, gingerly strolling by them.  This old man was only planning to walk two blocks to the store and then back to his house; therefore, the children saw no reason to help him.  He strolled along precariously, trying to steady himself with an old, wobbly cane.  The children found this quite amusing, and they started mimicking the poor elderly man.  The kids grabbed sticks and imitated his slow, unstable, and troubled saunter. They badgered the old man for his deficiencies, even though they were void of human feeling—the biggest disability of all. 

 

Incidents such as this are the primary reason why there is fear and disdain between the elderly and teenagers.  For some reason, a strong generation gap has forged itself between our community’s young and old citizens.  Closing this gap should be for the benefit of every man.  Therefore, personal responsibility to improve the quality of life in our community today should begin with repairing this hole and regaining the union that once existed between these spectrums.

 

One reason that these feelings of fear and disdain exists is because kids today exaggerate their expression with the right of free speech.  These freedoms, issued in the Bill of Rights under the First Amendment, do not seem to hold the same definition they did two hundred years ago.  Kids today use speech and expression in a way that leaves the elderly feeling dazed and confused when just trying to hold a conversation.  Teenagers dress in short skirts, huge baggy pants, little sultry tops, pants and shirts with wild prints, or obscene/rude logos.   The older generation does not understand or agree with these styles.  When our grandparents were young, they were not brought up with a variety of fashions or imposing languages, therefore it scares them and causes them to criticize us for how today’s society has become.

           

In communities today, there is not enough interaction between the elderly and young.    It is my personal responsibility then to take the first step to initiate this contact. I am willing to volunteer my time to put a damper on the lack of respect between the two generations.  There should be an organization formed that urges the young and the elderly to cooperate; in this organization the two groups would play cards, share stories, build projects, put puzzles together, or any other activities that would bring them together.    

Both generations need to listen carefully to what the other has to say.  The young ones need to pay closer attention to the older because they are wiser and have faced many dilemmas in their lifetime.  With this in mind, it works both ways.  The elderly should listen just as well to what young people have to say.  The younger generation may not be as wise or have faced as many problems, but we do know quite a bit about technology.  Technology is becoming better and better each day; younger people adapt easier and faster to these changes.  Another project young people should start to do is to record the stories that the elderly have told.  We should either record these stories on tape or write them down on paper.  Their stories will always be important and very interesting, but the older generation will not always be around to tell them.  A good interaction project is known as journal elders.  This is where the teenagers converse with the older generation about personal experiences and memories from childhood, and family life.  After the kids have received enough information, they write poems about their older person; they also create a story from the information that was obtained during the time spent with their partner.  This project is a sensational way to show interaction between the different age groups.   

           

Another way to remove the fear of each other is by the younger working where the elderly frequent.  Teenagers could work at drugstores, grocery stores, restaurants, and perhaps even in a doctor’s office.  The teenagers that are legal to drive could even volunteer to take the elderly to their appointments or where they want to go.  This responsibility is on the shoulder of teenagers today.  We, as the younger generation, should be willing to put aside time to help others out.

 

If the two generations would interact more frequently, the fear and the disdain would no longer exist.  It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that this interaction occurs within each individual community.  Imagine this: One day a group of kids were sitting on the bench at the corner of the sidewalk.  They were bored out of their minds and trying to find something to keep them busy.  Then, a weak old man came staggering towards them.  The kids noticed his laggard and unsteady walk as he grew closer. The kids knew that he was going to the store and would have trouble carrying his groceries home.  So, as the old man was walking by the kids they stopped him and offered to help.  The gentle, old man agreed without hesitating and was greatly overjoyed.  If more interaction would take place between the two generations, someday this scenario could be the rule instead of the exception.       

    

Answers To Questions

 

Q1- How does society invest in marriage in the USA and in Manus?

            In the USA today, our society views marriage as being less necessary.  With all of the opportunities out there today, it does not seem as important to people to achieve the status of marriage.  However, in Manus, society is centered around marriage.  Ones status is determined by tried and enduring marriages.

 

Q2- Interview 10 married people.  State the length and number of each one’s marriages and a line or two of advice from each on how to maintain a long, happy relationship.

It is this woman's first time to be married.  She has been married for 15 years.

The woman's advice was that compromise is the key.  If you both give in a little, you can meet in the middle and make both sides happy.

 

It is this man's first time to be married.  He has been married for 25 years.

            The man's advice was to always let the woman think that she is right.  If you argue, that will just make matters 10 times worse.

 

It is this woman's first time to be married.  She has been married for one year.

Her advice was not to get caught up in the little things. 

 

It is this woman's fifth time to be married.  She has now been married for 3 years.

If at first you don't succeed, then try and try again.

 

It is this man's third time to be married.  He has now been married for 10 years.

There are many fish in the sea, but sometimes it just takes time to catch the perfect one.

 

This woman has been married one time.  She has been married for 50 years.

Her advice is that love takes work, but it gets stronger over time.

 

It is this man's first time to be married.  He has been married for 20 years.

Do not ever forget special occasions such as:  anniversary, BIRTHDAY, valentines day, and so on. 

 

It is this man's first time to be married.  He has now been married for two weeks.

His advice is to be patient.  It gets better and better all the time.

 

It is this woman's first time to be married.  She has been married for four years.

When you are rattled because of others, do not take it out on your spouse just because you can.

 

It is this man’s first time to be married.  He has been married for 22 years.

His advice is to always keep the communication line open.  Always express what you are feeling.  Do not try to hide your feelings.

 

Q3- According to Richard Eckersley, what should our collective goal be?

            According to Richard Eckersley, our collective goal should be how we choose to live affects the world there is no escaping that so we should choose to live to change the world.

 

Q4- Write a worthy goal for your local community.

            A worthy goal for our community is to become increasingly interactive with each other.  Therefore ensuring better communication with others.

 

Q5-Comment on the excerpts from “Tomorrow’s Child.”

            Latchkey children are in search of a 'human connection'.  The dolls are giving the children a false sense of security that can only come from a human mother or father.  Tomorrow's children will be faced with the economic gap that is continually growing.  The changes that will be made will either widen this gap or help to close it.

 

Q6- How does the fact the USA is a democracy make lawyers particularly helpful, according to Kathleen Sullivan?  How does our diversity, wealth and size make lawyers particularly helpful?

            According to Kathleen Sullivan, the fact the USA is a democracy makes lawyers helpful because they create a form of public responsibility and accountability that would not happen in an untrammeled democracy.  Lawyers help to achieve what economists call economies of scale.  They help you to save money on repeat transactions by helping you set up processes, procedures, and rules that enable the same kind of transaction among a lot of people who don't know each other, in a cheaper way.

 

Q7- Ms. Sullivan claims bad practices are changed either by regulations or punitive damages.  Which do you prefer and why?  Can you think of an alternative?

            I prefer regulation because in regulation the rules are set.  There are no hazy areas in regulation as there would be in punitive damages.  I do not think there needs to be an alternative.  I think that regulation is the way to go.

 

Q8- Briefly describe three ways society would benefit from the coming retirement of baby boomers, according to the required reading.

            One way society would benefit from the coming retirement of baby boomers is that most of them will not remain at home.  Instead, they will start up their own businesses and hire other retirees to work for them.  Another way is the elderly who stay at home may provide opportunities for teenage entrepreneurs.  These teenagers will perform duties for the elderly such as running errands and assisting with household chores.  One other way society would benefit is some of the retiree entrepreneurs will offer services to the large number of Generation X'ers who will be having families.

 

Q9- Evaluate the likelihood of President Clinton’s anti-poverty program making a real impact.  Give at least three reasons to back up your conclusions.

            I think President Clinton's anti-poverty program will make a real impact.  I think this because our economy today is running at full capacity.  The only way for our country to keep the economy recovering is by having new people working and buying.  These people are the poor people.  Another reason I think this is because if we don't do something about this problem now, nothing will ever get accomplished with this issue.  Now is the time to get something done.  Also, the policies now are fundamentally better than they were in the past.

 

Q10- Name three things Truett Cathy and Tom Lewis have in common.

            Truett Cathy and Tom Lewis are both entrepreneurs.  Truett Cathy started his own business called Chick-fil-A.  Tom Lewis also started his own after school program.  These two both worked hard to achieve their goals.  Also, both started their businesses to benefit others.

           

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