I'm going to have a rant. The thing that's been pissing me off is the perception of age.
Ever since playing my ukulele at a folk night, my respect for people far older than I has sky-rocketed. Their skill and experience is something to behold, that for 60 years (that's just over 3 times my age) a guy has been plucking away on his banjo, learning and learning. It's something to be commended.
I'm not saying we should have parades in the street for older people, to celebrate their wealth of knowledge, what I am saying is to put an end to this stupid trash talk of "old people? Get out of the way man, you're so useless". Yes, they're a bit slower than us younger folk and have more weathered skin - does that mean that suddenly they have nothing to provide to society?
I remember one smug tosser proclaiming that pensioners "do nothing but sponge off the state with their expensive pensions". Well fuck me, Einstein, it's because of their graft that you have a fucking state with which to live in! It's because they went to work instead of clubbing every night and filling your brain cells with toxins from every corner of the globe that the world keeps fucking turning. I'm also unsure as to why not paying income tax constitutes to a feeling of uselessness - they still pay VAT on all their goods, they still pay tax on fuel and for their cars and all other taxes we have to pay. They still fund the state.
The TV show Top Dogs showcases 3 older men that take their two friends into their field of expertise. Are we saying that because Robin Knox-Johnston has reached retirement age, that his contribution to the world is now null and void? Show me any teenager that has sailed around the world single handedly and successfully navigated Cape Horn 3 times. That, my friend, is a fucking achievement.
The harshest mental exam any teenager goes through is either learning a second language or taking a cold shower on a morning. Ranulph Fiennes walked to both poles on this earth unaided. Most people that go out on a Friday night can't walk home unaided.
John Simpson spends his days in war-torn countries, reporting the news from the ground and from a first-hand perspective. It's because of this lumbering old fart that free speech still exists, his experiences in these countries ensures that the internet is an important tool in gathering news fast, and not just 24 hour access to kiddie porn.
Not all older people are wise. Some are ignorant, others plain fucking stupid. Same goes for the middle-aged, and the young. But they know shit that we don't, and if knowledge is power, then we should stop and listen to these old farts whilst they're still alive.
We might just learn a thing or two.
Ever since playing my ukulele at a folk night, my respect for people far older than I has sky-rocketed. Their skill and experience is something to behold, that for 60 years (that's just over 3 times my age) a guy has been plucking away on his banjo, learning and learning. It's something to be commended.
I'm not saying we should have parades in the street for older people, to celebrate their wealth of knowledge, what I am saying is to put an end to this stupid trash talk of "old people? Get out of the way man, you're so useless". Yes, they're a bit slower than us younger folk and have more weathered skin - does that mean that suddenly they have nothing to provide to society?
I remember one smug tosser proclaiming that pensioners "do nothing but sponge off the state with their expensive pensions". Well fuck me, Einstein, it's because of their graft that you have a fucking state with which to live in! It's because they went to work instead of clubbing every night and filling your brain cells with toxins from every corner of the globe that the world keeps fucking turning. I'm also unsure as to why not paying income tax constitutes to a feeling of uselessness - they still pay VAT on all their goods, they still pay tax on fuel and for their cars and all other taxes we have to pay. They still fund the state.
The TV show Top Dogs showcases 3 older men that take their two friends into their field of expertise. Are we saying that because Robin Knox-Johnston has reached retirement age, that his contribution to the world is now null and void? Show me any teenager that has sailed around the world single handedly and successfully navigated Cape Horn 3 times. That, my friend, is a fucking achievement.
The harshest mental exam any teenager goes through is either learning a second language or taking a cold shower on a morning. Ranulph Fiennes walked to both poles on this earth unaided. Most people that go out on a Friday night can't walk home unaided.
John Simpson spends his days in war-torn countries, reporting the news from the ground and from a first-hand perspective. It's because of this lumbering old fart that free speech still exists, his experiences in these countries ensures that the internet is an important tool in gathering news fast, and not just 24 hour access to kiddie porn.
Not all older people are wise. Some are ignorant, others plain fucking stupid. Same goes for the middle-aged, and the young. But they know shit that we don't, and if knowledge is power, then we should stop and listen to these old farts whilst they're still alive.
We might just learn a thing or two.
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