The elderly are our legacy

The United States sky-rocketed to world predominance as a result of the industrial revolution. This was a period in history where we valued strength, quick hands, and the ability to work long hours. In other words, we valued youth and vitality. As a result of this focus on work ethic, we as a country started to push our most vulnerable, our parents and grandparents, aside.

I find it disturbing that there is a Division of Adult Protective Services in the Florida Department of Children & Families. It’s a sad reality that it’s necessary to staff and fund an agency to protect elderly people from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Our seniors should be venerated, not harmed.

That’s why I am so proud of the myriad programs and field trips for seniors that run throughout the year at the Pinecrest Community Center. Check the Village’s website for scheduled offerings: www.pinecrest-fl.gov/government/parks-recreation/senior-citizens/calendar.

Seniors are often the moral compasses of our lives. Consider the teenage “delinquent-in-training” who can learn a great deal from the wise grandfather who remembers making horrible mistakes and the consequences he suffered from his transgressions (ok, we can also call it stupidity) when he was young. Or the toddler that can crawl onto Aunt Margaret’s lap and follow along while an old fable is read. Even the struggling adult can take a moment to breathe while her Mom explains that everything is going to be fine, because Mom survived the Great Depression and is currently doing well with her diabetes.

Learning from the elderly is easy – they are often so willing to share.
Seniors are a living representation of history. They are the ones that can give you first-hand accountings of war, oppression, and victories.

The National Archives is filled with oral histories that can be so helpful in giving us different and unique stories of life in times long gone by.

The elderly can provide a perspective that we young people can’t – the wisdom that comes with age. Experience and institutional knowledge is so valuable. Seniors should be esteemed and treated with the utmost respect.

About James Field: James is committed to keeping in touch with friends and neighbors in the community and hopes you welcome his insights on issues affecting Village residents. James grew up in Pinecrest, graduated UM, and traveled extensively before setting his sights on business and philanthropy. Currently director of business development for a large agriculture company, James also founded Dogmadik, a supply-chain management company for emerging restaurant brands. He has donated his time to save children from the sex slave trade and even traveled to volunteer with Charity Vision. Please send an e-mail to jfieldjr@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or topics for future discussion.


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