Lessons (for the young and the old)

I once told a friend working on child rights that I envied him for being regularly exposed to the energy and idealism of the youth. I believed it was that kind of positivity that was needed in our advocacy work. It envigorates any veteran activist on the brink of burn-out. He answered that he envied me too, because working with, and for, the elderly also had its advantages. I get to benefit from their wisdom and years of experience from which I can learn a great deal. And he may have a point there.

I have been working on senior citizens concerns for four years now, and admittedly, while dealing with the elderly can sometimes try one’s patience, I have found it quite rewarding too. Firstly, I learned that besides patience, our elderly just want someone to truly listen to them. In exchange, they listen to what you’re trying to say too. Besides true communication, I learned from my beloved senior citizens the power of gratitude and appreciation. It must be their generation of exacting “politeness”, but when they are pleased with your efforts at addressing their concern, they never lack for “thank you’s” and “we really appreciate it”. Maybe because of all they’ve seen and experienced, I think they truly know by now what is important in life and that is what they put a premium on. You can sense it in the way they are respectful of authority, the way they value family and friends, and the way they deal with problems or conflicts…even the way they enjoy everyday experiences.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of knowing what the elderly know, especially the youth. Young people are sometimes too much in a hurry to grow up, so they fail to enjoy their childhood, their freedom from responsibility, their only chance at making mistakes. As busy adults, we waste so much time on pursuits that we think will give us the most material gain; never realizing that whatever we accumulate in this mundane life, we can’t take with us when we die.

With the success of the senior citizens in getting sectoral representation in Congress, lobbying for and getting laws passed for their benefit, and having nationwide membership in senior citizens federations and associations, I’d say advocacy groups and aspiring party lists can learn a thing or two from our seniors.