Sunday, May 10, 2009

Age can be a Hindrance

I'm watching Celebrity Apprentice. Old people sometimes annoy me. Joan Rivers keeps insinuating that her rival has friends who are associated with organized crime. On several occasions she has used derogatory statements toward those who play poker. When Joan Rivers was in her 50's, Vegas was a playground for gangster's. Gambling was in fact associated with criminal activity. Everybody knows that. The times have changed though and she, like many elderly people, fail to recognize that things change.

Gamblers and Poker Players are no longer shadow figures. These days, poker is one of the fastest growing past times in America. In many towns and cities in this country there's at least one business or organization that has a weekly poker night. I doubt the mafia has any influence at my local bar, where tues night is Texas Hold Em tournament night.

I saw James Carville on PBS one night and he said something that I wish everyone would have heard. I'm para-phrasing but it goes something like this. A smart man knows that the world changes, and knows when he doesn't understand it anymore it's time to get out of the way. He was referring to political campaigns but it's something that everyone needs to think about.

Every day we have a chance to learn something new. If we are not able to keep our minds open to different ways of thinking then we will only slow down progress. Old ideas need to be examined and there usefulness needs to be considered. Maybe there's a biological reason for this but I see no reason why the elderly can't seem to get past the past. Why is it that children have to teach their parents how to get on the internet? Everyone needs to be encouraged to try new things. So if there happens to be an old person reading this, please understand something before you lable it or judge it.

About Me

Hi, I'm Martin Howard. I live in a small town in the mid-west. I thought I would introduce myself :) I have a multitude of interest and enjoy living life. I also like to share my thoughts and experiences with the world. I hope you'll read a little of what I write. MH