Friday 26 February 2010

Age Before Intelligence

Everyone likes to get respect, but you only get it if you earn it. At least, that's the way I see it. I am not talking about general respect, the kind you get initially, which has the ability to be lost forever when you open your mouth. I am talking about respect you have to earn.

Everyone's idea of respect is very different. Some people think respect is through fear, some people think respect is earned through property, but most normal sane people think respect comes from your actions. I respect my mother for raising a family and getting an education after everything that was thrown at her. I respect my foreign friends for leaving their safety zone to get a degree. I have respect for many other people, for many very different things.

But what I don't give respect for is NOT dying... Well, unless they survived a murder by using wit to confuse the murderer. I have came in to contact with people who believe they are owed respect, because they are old. Why though? Where did we adopt this notion that we have to respect people just for staying alive? I am doing that now, yet no one is shaking my hand. When I am being less than favourable, I expect someone to tell me. Apparently you can't do that, because I don't understand.

What don't I understand exactly? Apparently it's OK for them to be racist, homophobic, sexist annoyances because they are from a different time. Yeah, but they are in this time now. Everything grows with time. Everyone has to adjust, but apparently they don't and we have to just put up with it.

No.

Why should we? Some old women stopped in the middle of the shopping centre a few months back and I couldn't stop fast enough and bumped in to her. What should have happened, was me apologising, her accepting and us going our separate ways. Instead, what happened was she turned around and started shouting and raving, making me look like I had just ran up behind her and cracked her across the back of the head. What made it worse, is onlookers (who saw the whole thing), were giving me the evil eye like they had saw some horrific atrocity. Of course, if she was 70 years younger, this wouldn't have happened.

I really do wonder what happens during the ageing process that makes not only your bowels flexible with where they unload, but also your morals and manners retire.

What also gets my goat is the argument that because they have seen more stuff than me, and worked for longer, that means they are better than me. This is generally by people who worked in an office for 60 years, or went to war, which they think is impressive to a pacifist.

I can only hope that in 50 years, I remember this blog and think, "do I really want to be like that?" But I then worry than my thought then will be, "yeah I do. I may as well since besides getting a sponge bath and having my weekly crap, it's the most fun a guy my age can have."

Hopefully someone will break my hip and put me out of other people's misery.