Treat Your Elders With Respect Because You May Not Know the True Value 

Written by Elijah Pezzini & Caleb Miller

June 6, 2022

Elderly people are extremely undervalued in our society. They are often mistreated and not taken seriously because they have lived their life and now are not useful. However, this is not the case - elderly people still have a lot to offer to the world. They have wisdom and experiences that no one else has. In this article, you will read two true stories of elderly people right here in Melrose. These stories exemplify all the things elderly people can offer and show us why we should not take the elderly for granted.

Two residents of Oosterman Rest Home (located on Laurel Street in Melrose) agreed to let my classmate and me share some stories about their life in this article, however, they did not wish for their names to be published along with the article. My fellow classmate and I both shared a general interest in the topic of ageism and just how unfortunate it is that in today's world the undervaluing of our senior citizens is one of the most common epidemics throughout our country. Therefore we set out to find stories that could show just how important old folks still are in today's society, and what better place to visit and provide company for the folks than somewhere less than half a mile from our front doors.

One of the residents at Oosterman Rest Home shared a delightful story of watching his kids grow up and even provided some advice for us on what he called "the most unexpected little life savers." The first man we talked to, a former salesman, told us about his family: three kids and a wife. His kids, or as he liked to call them, his unexpected little life savers, each came at unexpected times in his life. When he and his future wife had their first child it was before they were married, which at the time was not nearly as common, nor as accepted in society. Therefore, he decided to accompany this news with a proposal and was elated when his future wife said yes. They got married shortly thereafter and had their first child, a boy. The boy was his pride and joy; he was everything that he wanted to pass on to the next generation. He raised him like that too. He told us that even through trials and tribulations he would never fail to say “I love you buddy!” to him before he went to sleep. He was also blessed with two twin daughters. He said he would protect them with his life, and that nothing mattered more to him than making sure they were safe. Perspective he said, from their point of view he may have been a little strict, but from his, he was protecting his future. He never missed a game of theirs, never missed an event - they were his lifeline, his unexpected little life savers.

The second resident of Oosterman rest home was a man who used to deliver newspapers when he was younger. He talked to us about the bike he used to use. He referred to it as “his old stallion”. He grew up in Valparaiso, Florida, but later moved to Massachusetts to be closer to his nieces and nephews. He considered himself what we would call today somewhat of a Nomad. He did not really settle anywhere for a while and bounced around from place to place, he said his housing never settled, and neither did his spirit. He and his friends would travel in a van together for weeks on end just for the experience. Seeing the country was the most inspiring and breathtaking experience he said one can ever have. “You meet people that you hear about in stories and you find an appreciation for the life around you,” he went on to describe. Although later, he did make a family of his own and often tried to teach his kids everything he could about the country and the people in it. He never cared much for going by the book and he said it all roped back to “his old stallion,” the very thing he said that could have carried him around the world if it was not just a bicycle.

In conclusion, the elderly are truly the eyes into the past, undervaluing their stories and minimizing them to just senile old folks is one of the most egregious acts today. Sharing this experience and learning from older folks, not just our grandparents, really opened our eyes even further to just how valuable these people and stories are to society. The overall appreciation for life that these folks have is simply beautiful to hear about, it is not something we as teenagers think about just yet. Listening and sharing this experience with my fellow classmate was honestly very cool. Learning about their childhood and seeing the similarities while also appreciating the differences was an amazing experience. Hearing these types of stories and experiences from different points of view can give us much-needed perspective - and frankly, it can even make you a better person. Learning about where people are coming from is a skill that can be taught through experience. When times are tough, instead of turning against each other, turn toward the people with more experience, those who can give much-needed perspective and can even give you a good laugh in the darkest of times. Respect and listen to the elderly, because you will be old one day too.