Last week, I had the unique opportunity of listening to a group of elderly men and women share stories about the life they lived when they were younger.
They told tales about the hardships they faced as well as the sacrifices they had made for their children and their siblings while explaining that it was a mixture of perseverance and commitment that helped them accomplish things that seemed out of their reach at various points and time.
While some blamed the system and prevailing conditions as well as the policies of the Government of the day for their inability to accomplish more or lead better lives, others admitted that they had wasted their youth pursuing all of the wrong goals and ideals which they found out too late in the end were not really important ingredients for leading happier and financially sound lives.
To my surprise, all of these elderly people appeared to be very patriotic when questioned about how they felt about being Guyanese. They were optimistic that Guyana sometime in the future under the right leaders and in the right conditions could develop into a world power in the Caribbean and South American region with some even opining that the country is blessed with all that is necessary to accomplish such an ambitious goal.
For next hour, over cold gingerbread, I heard some really good proposals as to the kind of policies that a modern Government should implement given the experiences of these elderly folks and the missteps of past leaders. They were bursting with energy and eager to lend a hand here and there so that more youths could become grounded and prepared for the task of leading.
But one of the seniors remarked, “Our ideas and experience doesn’t matter. We are old. Nobody really listens to us. We are good as dead to younger folks and just look at how we are disrespected and cast aside.”
The tone of the conversation changed and almost everyone was in agreement that the country was suffering because there was a need for a paradigm shift among younger adults about their perception of the elderly.
There was also agreement that generational gaps were causing conflicts and rifts between the young and old in many parts of our country.
It was ripping families apart and resulting in the decline of traditions and culture which promoted respect, mores and moral values which had in the past strengthened communities and the moral compass of their inhabitants. These gaps were also responsible for a massive decline in the passing of critical historical, religious and cultural knowledge from the old to young.
Suddenly it dawned on me that indeed younger folks need to do much more to tap into the expertise of the elderly who are undoubtedly more experienced, resourceful and knowledgeable in certain respects. We, therefore, do not invent a new wheel but continue to build with newer ideas in mind. Youths need not fear their elders but respect them and work with them to create a better and more prosperous Guyana.
Also, I quickly believed that the elderly needed to exhibit more confidence in their younger counterparts, stepping aside and down when necessary so that newer and more modern forms of thinking could be allowed to flow into the policy development processes of our country.
It is therefore necessary for more compassion, love and dedication to be shown to our seniors in 2017. We must build more homes, resign retirement homes and retain as many of them as advisors in critical areas. They do not have to serve as frontline ministers or heads of constitutional bodies but rather must be allowed to continue assisting from the background.
We need to care more for our elderly. They must not die washing up teacups. They must not die feeling lonely and neglected. They must not die because of our shortcomings and failure to provide for them as they have provided for us.
Let 2017 be the year where the Government further increases their Old Age Pensions, benefits and standard of living.
Let 2017 be the year when we achieve enlightenment and accept atonement for our sins against the elderly. When we have done this, we can then address our shortcomings in other areas.
