Posted by
peripheral on Wednesday, January 06, 2010 5:17:01 AM
From My Perspective - - -
The folk song expresses that – “The Old Grey Mare, Ain’t what she used
to be – Many long years ago!” The picture is of a horse – head drooped,
sway backed, gait unsteady – the old grey mare…! What should be done
to/for The Old Grey Mare? There seems to be only two choices – let her
roam in the pasture freely, or have her put down (sent to a glue
factory for processing). The process at the Glue Factory that occurs
is: “(the) …prolonged boiling of animal connective tissue. These
protein colloid glues are formed through hydrolysis of the collagen
from skins, bones, tendons, and other tissues, similar to gelatin.
These proteins form a molecular bond with the glued object.
Stereotypically, the animal in question is a horse, and horses that are
put down are often said to have been sent to the glue factory.” The
product was popular for woodworking prior to synthetic glues being
developed. It could be argued that even in death the remains of The Old
Grey Mare were useful.
Applying “The Old Grey Mare” to human life and plans for The Aging
population: In October 2009, Business Specialties Investment had an
item entitled: “The Graying of America: Age and Opportunity.” They
wrote: “America is getting older. According to current-year estimates
from Nielsen Claritas, the 55-and-over crowd now represents 74 million
people, or 24 percent of the total U.S. population. Considering the
sheer size of this group and the wealth they control, life in an aging
world must be seriously considered. Unlike our culture’s obsession with
the youth over the past 50 years, our future will be based on the
interests of older people. According to the U.S. Census, 2037 will be
our oldest year, with nearly 30 percent of households being headed by a
person over 65. Forty-eight percent will be single-person
households…What opportunities does an aging population offer? The
market’s clear demand for retirement housing is the primary
beneficiary. Why? Economic cycles have little or no effect on the
natural aging process and the healthcare needs they represent. Demand
for hospitals and conveniently located medical facilities will continue
to increase. The demand for affordable seniors housing, particularly in
ethnic communities currently under-served, is already a reality. Since
the facts support that The Graying of America is a dramatic demographic
mega-trend shaping our landscape, serious investors can’t afford not to
consider the impact seniors will have on future real estate needs.
Working with changing demographic trends, rather than against them, is
the best way to reduce investment risk--and likely enhance returns…”
One is forced to muse – is this the general sentiment of the American
government toward the aging in the nation? Or – have the aged become
too much of a liability for a nation whose bent is for redistribution
of wealth and benefits, etc.?
In a broader view, is there a distinction that can be made in The Aging
Process between knowledge and wisdom? Is senility, dementia,
Alzheimer’s, and general forgetfulness inevitable? Is the older person
to be relegated to a Nursing Home (pasture) or a worse fate – “Put
Down” (euthanasia)? Is there a possibility that in the tendencies of
youth there is a loss in perspective of the value of wisdom attained
over the years versus the knowledge that is intellectually acquired? In
Leviticus 19:32, the Lord says: “You shall stand up before the gray
head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I
am the Lord.” Another translation (NLT) states: “Show your fear of God
by standing up in the presence of elderly people and showing respect
for the aged. I am the Lord.” Solomon wrote in Proverbs 23:22, “Listen
to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when
she is old.” In Jeremiah’s lament – Lamentations 5:11-17 – because of
rebellion against the Lord, and embracing of sin, we read: “Our enemies
rape the women and young girls…Our princes are being hanged by their
thumbs, and THE OLD MEN ARE TREATED WITH CONTEMPT. The young men are led away to work at millstones, and the children stagger under heavy loads of wood. THE OLD MEN NO LONGER SIT IN THE CITY GATES
(the place of wisdom); the young men no longer dance and sing. The joy
of our hearts has ended; our dancing has turned to mourning. The
garlands have fallen from our heads. Disaster has fallen upon us
because we have sinned. Our hearts are sick and weary, and our eyes
grow dim with tears.” Our nation may be well down a similar road – is
it too late for it to reverse its coarse? Consider these things with me!