With age comes wisdom – or stupidity
Re: “A culture’s wisdom resides in its grey fringe,” Have Your Say, March 13.
My heart thrilled as I read the soaring paean to the wisdom that comes with age written by Dr Dennis Walter Smith Sr. As a recently minted octogenarian, I would love to believe that “the sage words of elders often reveal a wisdom cultivated by those who paved the way. The elderly are the architects of harmonious social climates and predecessors to morality and care-giving.”
Occasionally that may be true, but don’t forget, we also contributed our bit to the mess our planet is currently wallowing in, which the young ’uns now have to clean up.
Here’s the true skinny, folks: Old folks can be just as stupid as anybody else, especially if we’ve got Alzheimer’s. Just go into any Soi Cowboy bar and listen to the old guys yammering away (well, assuming that you can hear them over the thunder of the music). Does that sound like wisdom?
The lesson should be clear: Young folks and old folks can both be either smart or stupid. It’s all part of life’s rich pageant. So evaluate any statement, claim, or piece of advice on its own merits – not on the colour of the speaker’s hair (if there is any). Ecclesiasticus (32:3) got it right a long time ago: “Speak, old men, but know what you are talking about; and do not interrupt the music.”
S Tsow
(An old fart who can’t drive and keeps wetting himself)
