Celebrating older persons

Yet in many cases older people remain neglected in some way.

I’m raising this issue because this morning on my way to work, I realised how people have lost touch with reality, especially when it comes to offering the older people the respect they so deserve.

I had to catch an Iveco bus to work this morning due to my car breaking down and in it, I noticed what I call an example of neglecting the elderly. All the seats in the bus were occupied when an elderly person came in.

I know he had a choice to wait for the next taxi but due to him being in a hurry, I guess, he decided to board as a “standing passenger”.

I know people are not obliged to give up their seat for the elderly, disabled or pregnant people. But as a people there are things we should do for the sake of Ubuntu and respect, especially to those who gave birth and raised us.

I realised that no one bothered to offer the old man their seat.

People pretended to be asleep or too glued to their newspapers and cellphones to notice, while others noticed but did not give a damn.

I looked around my damn self, hoping someone else would for once step up and help this passenger out – but to no avail, until I decided to offer mine. A young lady in the bus commended me for being a “gentleman” and blamed the guy seated next to her for “losing touch with reality”.

Everywhere, even at banks, we are encouraged to allow the elderly to move to the front of the queue for no particular reason other than for showing humanity and respect.

Let’s do all these little things just to make our elderly feel special and respected and we might feel grateful in return.

I know that in New York City, police can give a fine if you refuse to give up your seat to a disabled or elderly rider if the person requests the seat and I don’t think it should take us fines to make us offer such riders a seat.

Today, the United Nations commemorates International Day of Older persons and this year’s theme “The future we want: what older persons are saying” has been chosen to draw attention to the efforts of older persons, civil society organisations, United Nations organisations and member states to place the issue of ageing on the international development agenda.  Let’s also take a minute and think what good we can do for our older generation.