Respect our elders

I met an interesting guy today named James. He and I were looking at used books at the local Goodwill, and I started up a conversation with him.

Vietnam Veteran, wearing his Vietnam Veteran hat, super nice guy. He was in great shape, looked like he was in his 70s.

We talked about family, life, reading, and laughed a lot.

He actually thanked me for talking with him. He said as a senior citizen, a lot of young people ignore them. He said they feel like invisible people. He told me he appreciated me taking the time for talking with him. He kept apologizing for talking too much.

I told him not to apologize, that I enjoyed the conversation, and that I love talking with people and finding out about their stories.

He told a lot of dad jokes, and we laughed a lot. I told him that I recently read an article that said exactly the same thing about elderly people feeling invisible.

I thanked him for his time and his service. Great guy.

With today’s smartphones, a lot of people have lost the art of conversation. I always enjoyed talking with people older than me, and value their wisdom and humor. I have learned a lot from my elders and show respect to them.

I strongly encourage others to appreciate their elders and teach our young ones to do the same.

They have a wealth of stories to share if only someone will listen.

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