Boomers Need to Be More Grateful!

Today, I'm gonna stray a bit from the subject of language learning.

Uh, the other day I made a video about the importance of being curious and the

importance of continuing to learn and, and, and, uh, not only to challenge

our race, but to learn new things.

Uh, and the evidence that that's very positive for us as we grow older, and

really very positive at any age, to be curious and to be constantly learning.

And, uh, a number of comments were very positive towards me and, you

know, thanking me for the, what they're considered to be an encouraging message.

And people who are at, you know, either 50 or 60 or 70 were saying, yes, thank

you, and I'm the same way, and I, I'm learning and then that's keeping me young.

And, and I, I think all of that is, is positive.

And I know a lot of people...

I mean, we have only to look at the two likely presidential

candidates in the United States.

One is 77, the other is 80, uh, to realize that older people are still very

active, uh, and with a lot to contribute.

But I also wanted to say that as a person who is obviously in the older category,

that I think older people in a way may not always realize the extent to which

we are indebted to younger people.

It particularly came to light during the Covid pandemic when younger people

had to sacrifice for the older people.

Younger people, who tend to be more active out, more restaurants or concerts

or wherever, and they were forced to forego some of these activities or

other restrictions which were imposed on all of society, even though it was

really largely the vulnerable, not exclusively, like there were a lot

of younger people who also got very ill and ended up in a hospital in the

ICU and so forth, but overwhelmingly was older people who suffered and

yet all of society and in particular younger people had to sacrifice.

And when you then look at how many societies are structured today, I

can only speak for Vancouver, but the cost of housing is out of sight.

Younger people can't afford to buy homes.

Uh, older people, I think statistically have more wealth than younger people,

and yet in our society, seniors get a discount on public transit.

Uh, the health system overwhelmingly looks after older people.

And the younger people of course, pay taxes.

They work and they support the older people.

So older people and, and of course over we, it's older people who vote more than

younger people, which is kind of silly.

Younger people should get out there and vote more.

But, uh, you know, rather than me paying a, you know, having a discount on the

buses here, in a way I should pay more.

Um, because I, people of my generation are a bigger burden on the health system.

Maybe we should pay more into the health system.

Now, obviously you have people who are not well off, uh, in old

age, and those people should get, you know, assistance of some kind.

But a lot of people my age are doing just fine.

And so in a way they should be contributing more back into society.

Uh, you know, even something like global warming.

Overwhelmingly, scientists believe that we are going to have increasing difficulties.

I know this is controversial to some, I don't, I'm not a scientist, but the

vast majority of scientists believe that there will be predominantly

negative economic impact from climate change, and the older people are not

gonna be facing these difficulties, whereas the younger generation are.

And so for any of these different points of view, it's fine to

respect older people, thank you very much for having, you know,

live their lives and, and so forth.

And traditionally we respect people with white or gray hair, which is fine.

Uh, and I think older people tend to be perhaps physically

weaker or frailer or can be.

So I think they should be treated with respect.

However, I think there should be some recognition that older people maybe

should be in the tax system or in the extent to which older people have

a free ride in the health system, at least in countries like Canada

where we have a basically a universal coverage system, that older people...

I, I wouldn't mind paying, uh, you know, uh, I wouldn't call it wealthy seniors

tax, but something that recognizes that, um, you know, I am taking out

more or potentially if I were to get ill, Well I presumably will at

some point as I continue along here.

Um, we should be contributing more and giving the younger

generation a better break.

So just some vague thoughts on that.

Uh, I'm sure that'll stir up a hornets nest of comment and I can't say that

I've thought these things through carefully, nor have I really researched

this, but it's just a feeling that I had after seeing a lot of the

positive comments about me talking about aging and learning and so forth.

So I think seniors also should be contributing more to society than, than

they already have through their lives.

But even now at, at this stage, uh, you know, at, at my stage in life, uh, I

believe we should be contributing more.

So there you have it.