Medicine Lodge High School
Medicine Lodge, Kansas
Teachers: Devra Parker and Mike Hubka
Lost Opportunities
By Kristal McGuire
12th Grade
How many times have the so-called "X-Generation" been witnessed conferring with the elderly? Chances are one can count these lost opportunities on a single hand. This is the sad truth about relations between the young and the old. It appears as if each group is even a little afraid of the other. The young are fearful of the past while the old are frightened of the future. The government has special programs for lost and alone children such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters. What then are we as a society supposed to do about the elderly? I propose that we use the fact that both the children and the elderly of our communities are in dire need of companionship to bring about a solution to this all encompassing problem. As a result, we as a community would be solving one problem in the terms of another. The role of personal responsibility would be a huge factor in closing the gap caused by fear between members of the oldest and the youngest generations.
Ageism is defined as the belief that one age is superior to another age. This has been proven to be applied more to elders than to any other age group. Geriatrics are often portrayed as old, decrepit, cantankerous beings with nothing better to do than clip coupons. People view them as both mentally and physically impaired while, in actuality, they are very capable at various jobs if given the opportunity to substantiate in the field of their choice. In American society the media is a direct link with these discriminating opinions. In television commercials, for example, the elderly are used to sell items such as Depends, dentures, and funeral services instead of the more popular household products such as sporting equipment and cosmetics. This is a definite betrayal of the American dream of a better tomorrow for all people who choose to abide in America.
There are several reasons for the fear and disdain that exists between the young and the old. One reason might be their total lack of knowledge of each other. These two groups are our closest link to both the future and the past. Because of this fact it is extremely astonishing to realize just how little we as a society know and are willing to learn about them. Another element may be that they are simply afraid of change. The members of the older generation have been raised under harsh circumstances and because of this are very set in their own ways. The younger generation is one that is trying their best to break loose of the bonds that tie them down and to gain the personal independence for which they thrive.
Our society needs to find a way to bring these two groups together under a common cause. One avenue that might be taken could be the elderly supplying the young with mentoring. Once or twice during a given week each child participating would get together with an elderly person. This could be brought together through school or church activities. It should be mandatory in school curriculum to have a project in which would unite members of these two generations. An example might be what I elect to call a "Journal Elder." Students from both the middle schools and high schools of our nation would be brought together with a random elder for a school project. In my high school, during the course of English II, juniors are paired up with a "journal elder" with whom they communicate over a period of time. They may talk about anything either of them wishes to discuss. After that, the students write a series of stories and poems concerning the information they receive from their particular elder. During this process, the elder feels truly cherished and appreciated by the youngster involved. The past will invariably have a chance to break through age barriers and mingle with the future.
Another solution to the problem could be that the elders become a sort of Big Brothers and Big Sisters for the new generation. Children that live in bigger cities with nothing worthwhile to do except cause trouble and be a nuisance to society should be connected with an elder of that same community to help resume responsibility for themselves. Today, government programs dealing with the elderly are mainly materially beneficial. What then are we to do about lack of care where it really matters, which is located in the hearts of the elderly? Government could make a dramatic effect on this particular concept through the criminal system. Juvenile offenders that are incidentally put into the system should be evaluated to see if they could be coupled with a compatible elder. This would cause willing elders to become a part of the community once again.
The joint involvement between today's youth and elderly would not only benefit both groups, but all of society as well. The passing of knowledge, responsibility, and values would be a definite benefit for the young. In return, the elderly would receive a place in society where they righteously feel they belong for a purpose. Everyone in society would be involved in a common cause. All that would be mandatory would be a open heart and some sense of responsibility and accountability for our society.
Questions To Answer After Completing The Required Reading
Q1. In the USA society invests in factories, stores, and export companies while in Manus they focus more on values and beliefs such as marriage. This implies that the USA is more involved in non-essential materials whereas Manus looks directly upon values as a main importance in their lives.
Q2.
25 years- You must spend time together and never stop having fun.
27 years- You have to give and take. Sometimes you will give 90% and the next time your spouse will give 90%.
26 years- There must be a strong commitment to each other along with occasionally fooling around and having fun.
24 years- Dye your hair blonde so that you can have some fun.
18 years- You have to respect each other's individual interests.
18 years- In a healthy marriage, you must not lie, and you have to always tell the woman that she is right.
6 years- You need to continue to work at it and compromise must always be present.
23 years- An open line of communication must always be up and running. There needs to trust in one another. The male has to be the leader of the household.
18 years- A good marriage involves lots of give and take on both sides along with enormous amounts of patience.
31 years- You need to have spice in you life . A perfect marriage should entail plenty of compromise.
Q3. According to Richard Eckersley, our collective goal is to be healthier, wealthier, happier, and more satisfying and interesting. He also states that we live in the future and what truly matters in our lives is important.
Q4. A worthy goal for our community would be to provide shelter and food for everyone that presides in it. Also, an important factor would be raising the children of our community to respect their elders.
Q5. In my opinion, we need to provide something more stable than toys for latchkey children. I agree with the statement made by Robert Litan that we live in a winner-take-all society. I also believe that our society is indeed blind to economic opportunity, causing America's population of minorities to increase.
Q6. The notion of democracy is a big influence in our culture. Lawyers help protect us from the danger of tyranny and majority. They create a form of public responsibility and accountability. Lawyers help us save money by setting up processes, procedures, and rules in a cheaper way. These help to regularize an organization's activities and to save money on human interactions.
Q7. According to Sullivan, punitive damages are to make the company absorb the real cost of the activity and write it off as the cost of doing business. I believe that regulations would be an easier solution to this problem. Although our society turns its nose at laws and regulations, they are there for a just cause and therefore should be followed.
Q8. Society will benefit from the coming retirement of baby boomers for several reasons. The retiring baby boomers are noted for being the healthiest and most educated generation in history. When they retire they are likely to begin their own business while hiring people from the "X generation" to help them. The baby boomers will then be role models and examples for youngsters. Their retirement will also help to insure their own care. In order to keep talented employees companies will offer "elder care" which is somewhat like today's day cares for children. This will directly cause increased productivity and lower absenteeism for employees.
Q9. I believe that President Clinton's anti-poverty program will not make a real impact on today's people of need. First, I believe that correcting the problems will not lead to as much poverty reduction as the administration hopes for. I also reason that Clinton's plan to develop a country inside America will not succeed because it is an extremely large program with a shortage of people who are willing to help. The current policy of towards minority-owned business is unbalanced. There is too little emphasis on encouraging private financial markets.
Q10. Truett Cathy and Tom Luis have several things in common. First, they both believe that actions speak louder than words. They also both have obstacles to overcome in pursuit of their dreams. Truett Cathy and Tom Luis were both entrepreneurs with the help of children in mind.