Alan Simpson, co-chair of President Obama's deficit commission is an old man. 80-years old to be exact. Yesterday while attempting to drum up attention for this whole "lil deficit problem" he launched into a rant that was directed more at young people than it was at the senior citizens that are crying about social security cuts. Directed at seniors: "This is fakery. If they care at all about their children or grandchildren, and sometimes I doubt that -- I think you know, grandchildren now don't write a thank-you for the Christmas presents, they're walking on their pants with the cap on backwards listening to the enema man and Snoopy Snoopy Poop Dogg, and they don't like them!" Sounds like a certain 80-year old former senator has some unresolved family issues. I'm of the belief that old folks are shuttled off to the retirement home and out of sight far too frequently. They have life experience that is extremely valuable and have often lived through hardship we can only have nightmares about. 99 times out of 100 I'm respectful of old folks regardless of what they're saying. When I heard Alan Simpson's comments all I could think was shut the fuck up old man. Focus: When have you told an old person to shut the fuck up?
My prediction is that this thread goes to shit rapidly, so I wasn't originally going to run it. But what the fuck, it's TERRIBLE THREAD THURSDAY and sometimes a thread you think isn't going to work...does. Most people I know want to treat 86-year-old people like 6-year-old people - like you can't say certain things around them, or you have to coddle them, or whatever. Fuck that, 86-year-old people have seen four times as much shit as the average adult. They're like super-adults, they can take it. You also have to be careful, because they can be wily. For example, if you tell off a senior citizen who's cutting in line at the gas station, he's likely to whap you one...
With what? His cane? Fuck that, I can dodge that shit with ease and still have the time to tell him to fuck off. Anyways... FOCUS: I was at an auction for a restaurant/jazz club/record shop that closed down. Massive place, older than dirt, lots of stuff to be had on the cheap. There was an old service elevator that we could use to get things out of the place, and this old fella that was working it for everyone at the auction. Trouble was, that this old dude wasn't always in the elevator, so a lot of the time we'd have to figure it out ourselves. Now, operating a service elevator isn't killer tricky, but this particular one seemed to have a catch to it, one that myself nor my companions could figure out. And everytime we'd be having trouble with it this old codger would step in, sort it out (and made it look natural, no less), and tell us to "keep our noses clean". After three or four goes of this, I turn to one of the guys I'm with, much older than I am, and ask him what that even means. He says something about staying out of trouble and follows with a shrug. For the rest of the day I keep hearing this old guy tell me to keep my nose clean, and after a hard day of hauling heavy shit out of the building I just lose it on him and lash out: "What the fuck does 'keep your nose clean' mean, anyways?" "Eh? It means to stay out of a trouble." (I shoot him a rather puzzled look) "And how the hell does that apply here?" (Pauses in thought for a moment) "If you spent less time fucking about and more time learning about things I wouldn't have to be here." At this point I had nothing. Nothing. "Oh, go fuck yourself." The elevator halts suddenly, and the old dude just stares at me in silence, my buddies giggling like assholes. I ended up apologizing and dropping the matter, but whether I was right or wrong, fuck that guy.
Old people that are not related to me creep me out. Especially the ones in nursing homes. It's like staring at a bunch of pale white zombies cruising about in Hoverounds. Honestly most old white republicans piss me off when they talk. I even agree with them sometimes on the issue, but they come across as d-bags every time. The only two old white politicians I like are: Bill Clinton - what guy doesn't Ralph Nader - again what guy doesn't, even though he could never run the country The one that pisses me off the most is Bill O'Riley. The guy actually released a book aimed at teenagers that told them how to live. How big of a self-absorbed ass do you have to be to release a book aimed at a demographic your show (and network) arn't aimed for, BUT still think high schoolers will buy your book because your a "big important anchor guy on some political network." (That's a run-on sentence I'm sure, but I'm too tired to rewrite it.)
I dont really have a big problem with old people, and why should I? A lot of the men are WWII vets and a lot of the women are our grandmothers. When I worked for Staples in another life, the elderly would be the biggest pain in the ass customers. However, I just reminded myself that their someones grandparents and I wouldnt want mine treated like shit either. The only time they actually get under my skin is on the golf course. I hit the links a bunch of times during the summer with my buddies. Were not rowdy or loud, and we just play through like anyone else. Old men on the golf course love to bitch and make comments if their waiting for younger golfers on a hole. Its the only time I really want to tell them to shut the fuck up, and I would, if it wouldnt get me thrown off.
My dad, last night... but it didn't work because he never listens to anybody. We were at my brother's house for dinner, and my niece asked me to take a look at her knee as she'd hurt it a couple of days before. It was just a light tendonitis on the lateral side, and I was explaining to her about what had happened. I told her to take a look at my left knee, especially at the back where a portion of the head of the hamstring has been moved from a car accident I had as a kid. I only had to utter the words, "The car hit me on the back of the leg..." and dad jumped down my throat. "The car didn't hit you, you hit the car." He wasn't there, and didn't talk to any witnesses. Yet, for over twenty years, every time the subject comes up he's adamant that I hit the car. It doesn't matter that I point out that wasn't there. Or that the only injuries I had were to the back of my leg and the back of my head (meaning I'd have to running backwards to hit the car instead of the other way around). But, no, he's got to shout me down and insist to everyone that I ran into the car. Apparently I'm incapable of being right about damn near everything, no matter what evidence is presented.
I volunteered on a political campaign last year, for a Republican. I don't like the party, but I did like the candidate. Worst part was dealing with the old people spouting off about every insane idea they had. I don't remember the particular issue that set me off, and I don't ever really yell or get excited, so "set me off" is a bit of hyperbole, but some old woman started ranting about something that she heard on Fox News or Glenn Beck, and about 10 words in I cut her off: "The Constitution doesn't say that at all." (or something similar) The look on her face was unmistakable. I could at once tell both that she was appalled someone would tell her she was wrong about something, especially politics, and also that she recognized she had no clue who was right.
Me too. That being said, I had an event happen to me a few months ago, which was, in retrospect, absolutely hilarious; So, I had bought some Scratcher lottery ticket for a $1 while waiting for a friend to buy supplies at the local convenience store. To my shock, I won...$2, and told my friend to wait while I ran in to cash it. I get in line, and after waiting for a minute, get to the front. I'm about to make the simple exchange and dash out when... "EXCUSE me...there was a lady in front of you!" I turn around to see a 70 year-old, hunchbacked old hag, and she's pointing to some Filipina woman who has randomly wandered over to the other side of the store. "Well, she left out her spot, this will only take a second..." as I turn around. As I am about to make the exchange with the Chinese clerk, who is saying absolutely nothing, I feel a hard, bony finger make its way into my back. "EXCUSE me...there was a lady in front of you!" "Ma am, please don't touch me." At this point, some 60 year-old man, either her husband, friend, or relative, starts laughing, "young people today..." At this point, annoyed at having the Crypt Keeper touch me with the icy finger of Approaching Death, and not already being in the car with my friend, I immediately respond with "Shut the fuck up, you goddamn idiot, and STAY THAT WAY." While I'm not exactly an intimidating guy, I guess it works, because he doesn't say a word more. Unfortunately, as I turn back around to the counter, the Filipina takes that moment to drunkenly stumble in front of me. Since I can't well throw her behind me, I am forced to angrily wait while she slowly gets her dimes, nickels, and pennies to pay for some cheap garbage. Finally, I make my to the front, and when I'm about to get my money, the clerk asks me, "in what?" "Huh?" "What would you like your money in?" "You mean denominations?! Uh, dollars..." At this point, the harpy behind me pipes up again; "no, he would like it in quarters!" "You shut the fuck up, too!" And then, the old lady, who has probably outlived things far more terrifying than a tall 23 year-old with a large beard, looks up at my face, perched at least a foot and a half above her's, and calmly, dismissively responds; "Oh, give it a rest already!" I finally take my money and leave the convenience store, bested by the awful old lady!
Why are we supposed to automatically respect our elders? They are the ones who have fucked this country, and they were probably racist. Fuck them.
An interesting question, but I think it depends a lot on what you define as "respect". I believe that everyone should be treated with courtesy and politeness, at least until their behavior indicates otherwise, but I see those two as being different from real, true "respect", which means I define as placing a certain amount of belief into the opinions and views of that person, not for any factual reason, but through simple respect.
Maybe I should have said "treat everyone in a respectful manner" or "with respect". In the military we had a saying; "respect is something you earn, not demand".
Uh, is this something that isn't common? Even my two year old I've taught to say please and thank you. This is a legitimate question.
That is a leftover notion from a time where, if you lived to be over 45, you deserved to be respected and revered. And if you were senile or shit yourself, they put you on an iceflow or took you into the woods and left you there. Much like marriage and the human appendix, it's a concept that has outlived it's purpose.
Alternatively, showing some respect for previous generations might be because they have a a potential wealth of useful experience and have survived the trials and tribulations of life. Humans are pretty rare in our capacity to learn from the experiences of others. We're also very fragile. Not to mention, as someone earlier said, because most people woul hope their own grandparents are treated respectfully.
So, given the choice between being respectful or disrespectful to a stranger, regardless of age, why is the former such a fucked up notion?
From the book according to Dalton: "Be nice. Until it's time to not be nice." Everybody should be treated with respect until they show they are not worthy of it. It's not something to be earned, but it should not be automatic either. Because your older than me or related to me doesnt mean youre not a douchebag.
I was raised to be polite, courteous, etc to everyone, especially the elderly. As I've gotten older, I still try to maintain those with almost anyone and everyone I cross paths with, up until the point where they do something to provoke a change in attitude. A perfect example of this is holding a door. If I'm walking out of a restaurant and I see a family walking up, I have no problem holding it open once I'm out so the mom/small children can walk in. If they give a look of acknowledgment or say thanks, cool, if not...oh well. What pisses me off is when teenagers/the father will walk by and not even make eye contact, hold it open themselves, say thanks, etc. At that point I casually say "You're welcome, asshole..." loud enough for them to hear. Some people get mouthy, but the overwhelming majority of people just look at me with a confused/shocked expression and then it registers what they did. Some apologize, some get defensive, but most just look embarrassed. I'm not the goddamn hired help, I'm not a fucking bellhop, I was doing it to be courteous. I'm not sure why it pisses me off so much, because I'm not looking for some reward or acknowledgment from them or anyone I'm with, it's just one of those instances where it's so fucking infuriating that these shitheads feel it's okay to be rude/discourteous and it's in front of their kids which means this fuckhead is passing it onto another generation of fuckheads that it's okay to be a fuckin' fuckhead. What? Oh, right...old people. Old people even get a pass on that. Old men on the golf course don't get a pass though. Just because you've played it thousands of times in your life, you were in a war, you're a widower, etc...I don't give a shit. Courtesy is courtesy. If you're holding up play while you shuffle to and from your cart hole after hole while full well knowing we're behind you picking our asses because we're waiting, I'm going to hit into your group all day, put balls onto the green as you're walking off of it, screech my tired when I'm pulling up to your teebox in the middle of your backswing, etc. Same thing with driving. I have no problem shooting the bird to an old guy going 35 in a 55, or laying on the horn at a right on red. I have no problem doing any of these things because if I saw my grandfather doing any of them, I would call him out and fully expect other people to. Everything else though? Let is slide...