There is No Reason to Fill In the Senior Citizen Generation Gap

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Added: Fri. May 22, 2009 2:52pm
Posted in: Aging

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I am always being reminded by my 15 year old how out of touch I am; or how I don’t take enough time to just have fun; or all I think about is getting my projects done; or I worry too much about how much things cost ,or, or, or.

I am sure my son’s generation will do just fine (as long as their mothers follow them all through life picking up after them). It’s just how we go about getting there that’s a lot different. I was taught to plan, prepare and perform (in other words – Git-er done!) My son thinks it should be done either by mom, dad someone else, or later on after his buddies go home.

Then, there’s my Father and my Father in Law.   My Father passed away several years ago, but I could never keep up with him. He worked 8 to 10 hours a day after he retired (and he didn’t need to) but the simple truth is Dad enjoyed working.  My Father in Law won’t quit, either. He works around the house (or his daughter’s house)  24/7.

They both measure their worth by their daily work output.  This generation was raised by Great Depression parents and everyone had to work and earn as much as possible just to survive.

That’s why I believe it is healthy to have the senior citizen generation available to the younger generation. There’s no reason to “close” the generation gap. There’s too much valuable information and inspiration to be shared between the two of them.

I talk to seniors in assisted living facilities and nursing homes who would love an opportunity to share their stories. So, if you have an opportunity to take your children to visit an elder in a senior facility don’t hesitate to put the two together so they can share each other’s precious moments.