Important Lessons Learned from Old Folks
2011-02-09 at 04:00 pm
Blog
RSS
blog hoggin a bit today.. sorry bout that.
I spent a good portion of you adult life working with elderly people, either as a care giver or as transportation provider. I love old folks.. they have so much to say, and they certainly are not afraid to say what they want either! Sometimes at inapropriate times.. but still.. I’ve learned a lot from them.
One little old man I drove around was pretty much stone deaf. He couldn’t hear a word I said, but he could tell a mean story. Charley told me a story about when he worked at the local Ford Dealership (when there was still a livery stable in town). Ford was right across the street from the First Bank of Oregon. One day some “fellers robbed that bank. I seen em come out and head for the livery stable. About fifteen minutes later I seen em headin off toward Prairie City on a pair of rented horses. Then the Sheriff came and asked me had I seen any robbers? I said to him, I said.. Heh! What robbers?”
So without further ado, and listing only their approximate ages at the time of statement… Lessons I learned from old folks.
1. 88 yr old gramma. “You know why you’re so fat? Your man ain’t doin’ it right!”
2. 95 year old man. “No matter how long you live there’s nothing as satisfying as a good hot cup of coffee, unless it’s a blowjob.”
3. 72 year old man. ” There’s gold in them hills, sure there is.. but you’ll put more time and effort into finding it than if you went and got a damned job.”
4. 85 yr old lady. “Golden years my ass! Everything that works, hurts. If it doesn’t hurt, you can bet it doesn’t work.”
5. 81 yr old lady. “You spend all your life taking care of children and a husband. Then the husband dies and the kids all move away and you see them maybe twice a year, if you’re lucky. You’d better have a couple of really good friends and a hobby.”
6. 92 year old man. “You got spunk kid, you’re gonna need that when you get to be my age.”
7. 88 year old man. “There’s two things you have to know for sure in this life, how much (effort) you’re willing to put out and how much you’re willing to put up with. Nothing else really matters.”
8. 68 yr old lady. “Can’t means won’t. There is not much you can’t do. There’s a whole lot you might won’t.”
9. 74 yr old man. “Any day on this side of the dirt is a good day.”
10. 95 yr old lady. “Don’t mess up and put denture pills in your moutwash cup.”
And now, what I learned from experiences with them.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s is the cruelest joke that life can play on a person. I’ve seen a lot of old age problems, but this one takes the prize.. if it were a contest. Nothing like watching someone who was once vital and sharp lose their marbles. It’s no wonder they get angry and suspicious. They live in a scary world where nothing is familiar and no one is recognizable. One lady, in particular, used to break my heart when I’d pick her up at home to go to the Senior Center lunches, and then by the time I picked her up, she had no idea where home was, and she was expecting her husband, who had been dead for fifteen years, to be waiting there for her.
No matter how old they get, your Momma loves you. Your Daddy loves you. And they miss you when you don’t visit. Visit your parents. Spend as much time as you can just talking with them, whether it be via telephone or internet … in person, whatever.. they still have lots to teach you about life.
Older folks don’t want fancy gifts. They want your time. They want your love. They’ve pretty much got all that they want and more and are trying to simplify their lives. Flowers are nice. But a phone call is more important.
Always be respectful with your elders. Cuz old age and treachery is a vicious thing. They will get even and they don’t care if they get caught.
Being old doesn’t mean being useless. Just because they can’t get around like they used to, or they can’t remember everything, doesn’t mean that they cannot do things for themselves and for others. Give them a chance to be useful. They like it.
And now,for my children. When I am old,and past my prime, and need caring for. I want to go to an assisted living center. I refuse to live with any of you as it’s not fair to either of us. When I die, I want to be cremated and sprinkled in a garden where I’ll do some good.
In parting, words of absolute wisdom from my 93 year old Grandma. “Growing old ain’t for wimps.” So toughen up buttacup.. it’s coming for you too.
Last 5 posts by SamIam
- I Espouse Philosophies Without the Wine. - April 27th, 2011
- A Day In The Life - April 7th, 2011
- Idiots, Idioms and Idiosyncrasies. - March 29th, 2011
- I Could While Away the Hours.... - February 23rd, 2011
- Happy Hearts Day Night - February 14th, 2011
View Counter: 420 views
20 Responses to “Important Lessons Learned from Old Folks”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
whoaaa those are Some ages!!!..My family tree usually expires around 60-65ish max.So not much to worry bout asylums and care-homes
Likes:
0
SamIam Reply:
February 9th, 2011 at 8:51 pm
My family seems to live forever… and so do a lot of older folks anymore. They’re fun though… fun to hang out with.
Likes:
0
This is an excellent blog. There are so many utter jewels of wisdom that we can learn from old folks. Once people get past the age where they’re distracted by all the sparkly crap and pop culture, some genuine wisdom starts to bloom. Combine that will years and years of watching humans be silly, and you’ve got a recipe for some sage insight and advice. We don’t value our old folks like some other cultures do. We’re missing out on a lot in the process.
Thanks for sharing this.
Likes:
0
SamIam Reply:
February 9th, 2011 at 8:52 pm
I agree, we don’t value our elders over here. They’ve seen so much that we will never see. I love hanging out with them, always have.
Likes:
0
Nice.
Likes:
0
SamIam Reply:
February 9th, 2011 at 8:52 pm
Thank ya Sir, you are looking smashing today!
Likes:
0
I don’t have kids, but I’m certainly with you on this:”And now,for my children. When I am old,and past my prime, and need caring for. I want to go to an assisted living center. I refuse to live with any of you as it’s not fair to either of us. When I die, I want to be cremated and sprinkled in a garden where I’ll do some good.”
My mother felt the same way.
Likes:
0
SamIam Reply:
February 9th, 2011 at 8:53 pm
I think it’s a good way to believe. I don’t need to take up space better used for the living. I don’t wanna have one of those ‘earth friendly’ burials and stink the place up either. Toast my ass and toss me.
I love my children… I love them a lot. But I never wanna live by their rules!!!
Likes:
0
Yep and so many young people show older people such a lack of respect--it’s awful!
Great blog!
Likes:
0
SamIam Reply:
February 9th, 2011 at 8:54 pm
I agree, so many just see them as an object of ridicule. Old folks will hand you your backside if you don’t watch em.
Likes:
0
Marian Reply:
February 9th, 2011 at 9:02 pm
I’m in the process of reading, “Water For Elephants” and the narrator is supposed to be an old man recalling his youth. He states that after the age of thirty you start feeling old you realize that life goes by quickly--thirty… It’s true too… I think that by the age of thirty most people know that life goes by quickly…
Likes:
0
SamIam Reply:
February 9th, 2011 at 9:16 pm
Life does go by so quickly. You blink and suddenly all your kids are grown. It’s interesting. But I refuse to believe that my best years are behind me. I’ve just grown comfortable with who I am.. I intend to enjoy me.
Likes:
0
Marian Reply:
February 9th, 2011 at 9:21 pm
Same here!
Likes:
0
Super blog! Loved it! My boyfriend’s father has been in the nursing home for the last 2 years due to Alzheimers. You are spot on about what a cruel joke this disease is. We visit him every single Saturday morning and my boyfriend’s mom is there all day long 7 days a week. They have been married for 56 years and are still so madly in love. What a robbery of life! This man was so amazingly active before he got Alzheimers..he not only ran a dairy farm with his wife and 7 kids, but he held down a full time job at the paper mill. His interests and activities were as broad as the horizon--hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering ginseng, president of the Eagles Club, etc. etc. He no longer recognizes anyone except for his wife, he cannot walk or feed himself and he is in diapers..He mostly sleeps, but when he’s awake, he is always smiling. When we visit him, sometimes he is seated at one of the many tables in the special care unit with other Alzheimers patients--many who he was friends with, grew up with. Some of them do nothing but color all day, others scream and cry. It’s kind of depressing going to visit him, but we will continue to do so until he passes. I seriously believe he has hung on this long because of all the family support--all the kids and grandkids visit him on a regular basis and we talk to him about all the memories. He has had Alzheimers since he was 62 years old. He is now 76. He has far surpassed the average time a person has the disease before they pass.
My mother is age 84 and still in great health and living on her own. But she, too, has always told us kids that she does not want to live with any of us if she becomes disabled in her old age. She wants to go to a nursing home.
Sorry this comment was so long, but it really touched my heart! Kudos!
Likes:
0
SamIam Reply:
February 9th, 2011 at 8:56 pm
I like your long comment!
One old Gent I used to do in home care for, Scotty .. aged 92, would scream at me that I was trying to poison him .. at dinner time. I’d just holler from the kitchen, “shut up and eat your poison!” That always seemed to do it.. he’d start giggling then.
Alzheimer’s ..such an awful thing. Awful awful disease.
Likes:
0
Far as blogs go, this one is a dandy. It has your tender moments, your laughter, your love and your lessons. I had a friend tell me the other day that I should work with old people. Told her I wasn’t tough enough and I did not have the patience. Besides old men just like to pester me and hear me tell them to kiss my ass. We decided I could tend bar at a Shriners club. What you have said to your kids, I have heard almost word for word from my mom. And now that I have kids, I know why she has always said that. It is a matter of love. I gave my kids life, not so they could take care of me, but so they could have a life. “Don’t forget about me, instead come tell me stories about your adventures.”
Likes:
0
SamIam Reply:
February 9th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
Funny, I just asked my Mom what she’d like for her birthday in April.. she said, “I just want a remembrance.” I’ve got more stuff than I know what to do with. Call me and tell me about your day. Ok I can do that.
LOL most old men like a woman who will flick them shit. A lot of the old ladies too, I’ve noticed. If they are cranky and you tease em about it they seem to get happier.
Likes:
0
It is odd that as I age physically, my mind has not. I am still the same person inside that I was in my early twenties. I always thought that old people thought “old people thoughts”. Barring Alzheimer’s or some other disease which affects thought, I find that this isn’t so. Perhaps consciousness never ages. I hope not…
Likes:
0
SamIam Reply:
February 9th, 2011 at 10:22 pm
I know, I know what you mean…I don’t feel like I’m nearly fifty in my mind. My body might feel like I’m a thousandteen… but meh.
Likes:
0
Yay! I missed you so much, Sheila!!
There is so much to learn from the elderly. I have always loved to listen to the ‘back in my day’ stories. The unique perspectives about historical events and personal experiences and adventures are so rich and fascinating.
Thank you for sharing these anecdotes, Sheila. Your advice about the parents is so true. My parents are gone and my kids are too busy and scattered to the wind…
I missed you lots, my friend!
Likes:
0