Get With The Program

What is to become of the elderly? How will we address the needs of humanity, the nation, and the old themselves? The United States is desperately seeking answers to these questions, as are Japan and the European nations. In reality, these are questions that have been asked since people began to survive past the age of usefulness to their communities in primitive groups and which until very recently have been dealt with rather elaborately by all societies.

With the coming of birth and population control, health care advances, modern sewage and septic treatment, a host of other healthier practices, and all of the entitlements discussed above, a far greater portion of the population is surviving to the age of retirement. Prosperous modern states, including our own, have instituted programs to assist the elderly and relieve the burdens on the young.

Today, Americans are in a mad race to become entitled. Company pensions and health care, 401k accounts, government annuities, Medicare and a host of other private and public benefits lay before us, and we scramble crazily to qualify, so that we may… May what? Largely pass time from the date of entitlement until we die. Only the very young seem immune to this thought syndrome, but almost as quickly as they become part of the adult world of work they jump on the gerbil wheel and race toward qualification.

Despite protestations to the contrary, it matters not whether we are rich or poor, entrepreneurial or worker in outlook, we all scramble to become entitled; the only differences seeming to be the quality and size of the houses we will live in, the cars we drive, the brand of our toys, and where we shop. While the badges of success differ in quality and quantity, we are consumed by becoming eligible to wear them.

Sadly, we qualify for being put out to pasture in much better condition physically, mentally, and psychologically than members of previous generations and most of us can look forward to far more years of doing what we wish to do – shopping, playing, dining, basking or even contributing. For decades economists and actuaries have observed that a greater portion of the population is becoming entitled than is healthy for the economy, and last year President Bush touched the third rail of American politics by suggesting a major overhaul of Social Security. His changes were derided and, sadly, because of his maladroit approach, we have as a society stuck our heads back into the sand.

Mr. Bush was right in working toward reform and his timing was spot on. We simply cannot continue present trends forever. Disaster is looming. But it is far more than simply a disaster of not being able to afford to care the old, it is a question of how we view old age. If all that we expect of our old is for them to shop or play until they drop, I think we’re missing out on a great resource. Despite the fact that there are more of us than ever, I wonder if the percentage actively engaged in passing on the civilization has grown?

My grandparents lived in our household, and I count myself blessed to have had long discussions with a very bright and thoughtful old man before he died. Today, he would be living in Florida, Texas, or Arizona doing `his thing’. How much is being lost as lives of great experience are frittered away without rounding out the education of another generation?

On January 7, 2006, I made what I thought was a strong plea for maintaining the Social Security benefits program as a defined benefits rather than a defined contributions system as proposed by Mr. Bush; see Wake Up, Plutocrats. I stick by that notion but today my plea is for better utilization of the great resource that is represented by our older citizens.

Last week, I had the good fortune to visit the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, FL. Aside from spending an extraordinarily pleasant day with friends, I was taken by the quality of the volunteers in the museum whom as you might expect in the Sunshine State tended to be older Americans. One docent in particular comes to mind, a vivacious woman fully competent in her subject doing her very best – and it was very good indeed – to pass on the art treasury of Western Civilization to visitors of all ages. She appeared to be entitled but was far more intent on making a contribution rather than simply existing. The woman was transmitting her knowledge, but she was not working; she was joyfully contributing and in a big way.

In addition to reforming the economics of old age by asking people to participate longer in the work force and by contributing more toward the cost of their retirement, I think society should be asking more of the elderly in the form of volunteerism. Obviously, President George H. W. Bush (Bush 41) was on the right track with his `Thousand Points of Light’ volunteer program. My view is slightly different. I would like to have government and non-government programs designed to tap the wasted resources in our midst. Volunteer activities abound right now but little is done to recruit other than advertising. I would like to see counseling programs that could help - that’s HELP – evaluate strengths of the population and encourage them and the institutions tap these resources. The idea would be to help people discover their strengths so that they might contribute

The biggest loss is for the individual offspring – and theirs – of the elderly. We should not let our elders pass without making a contribution to the family. Government and private programs may have freed all partners in the work of life from being dependent on each other economically and physically, but there is a cultural bleeding that must be stanched.

It’s not the money, but there is gold in them thar hills.

Blog on!

Wild Bill