LOVE, THROUGH THE EYES OF THE ELDERLY!

When we grow older, our bodies and our purposes become totally different than they had ever been before, when we had been so much younger.  The elderly person's heart is now filled with so much love and so very much more desire for love, than at any other time during that person's younger life.  This is so very true.  The problem is; that these elderly people have never been old before, so becoming older is quite a very NEW experience for them. They remember their younger years and exactly how all of those things had come to pass so very long ago. However, those things of the past, can no longer apply to their very NEW, elderly status and to the concept of their now, very NEW elderly lives. The truth is that, we really do not know how to begin to start a NEW, relationship with another elderly person; not even with another elderly person whom we might even love quite dearly. We can only know how to relate to other elderly people; specifically, those whom we may have already known and loved for so very many years. This is because we have no other previous experiences or any other frame of reference, regarding this kind of elderly love-life. Most of us elderly people are fearful of failure, while others may lack the necessary confidence. Many of the elderly may also be fearful of new commitments. But to be honest; we just don't know how to do it. It had been done very successfully by many elderly people in the past. However, all of those very elderly people who had so very successfully accomplished all of this so very successfully in the past, are no longer here to give us any good advice. Also, those who are younger than us have no idea, what it feels like to become elderly, so they cannot give us any good advice either.  So we pray a lot; because it would take a miracle for us to find a way to solve this problem.  So, we find it much more rewarding and so much easier, just to give all of our love to our very dear Children and Grandchildren, while hoping that they will reciprocate, by returning all of their love to us as well.

PERFECT ENGLISH

My perception of the English language; as seen from my very own point of view:
My thanks to my dear friend Vicky, for inspiring me to write this!

What I have written here, has all been written with regards to those of us, who have been born in the U.S.A. and those of us who speak English as their primary language.  I invite your rebuttal or any other comments, which you may care to make.  Whether you will agree with my viewpoint or not, I think that you might find it quite interesting....

Babies are born with the quest for language and speech, already genetically present within their brains, and from the moment of their birth and forward, the baby's brain begins to absorb and to process all of the incoming information.  The baby's brain sorts out all of the information all on its very own accord, and it is not necessary for the baby to be required to concentrate on whatever he may understand and just how that information should be interpreted.
Now after saying this to you; I can now tell you for certain, that if immediately after birth, a baby were to be capable of reading a text book, which would very perfectly describe the structure and the process of the English language; that baby would then immediately begin to develop that skill within his brain, and that baby would then be able to speak perfect English, right from the very first moment in time, when his very first words are about to be spoken. However, this is not possible, so the baby must learn by "association".  This means that the baby will then learn very much about speaking the English language mostly from listening to his parents, as well as listening to others around him, who are always very close to him. All of this will then occur, long before this child will ever receive his very first, formal English lesson, from a school.  The baby's brain will always try to interpret the incoming information in the most simple manner.  The baby's brain will always search for the easiest way!  The easiest way for the baby's brain to do this, is to evaluate every spoken word that he may hear.  These are the spoken words which are learned from those who would be there, and very close to him.  Those people around him do not speak perfect English either, for this very same reason. So this problem is now very much self perpetuated.  By the time that baby (child) goes to school, his knowledge and speaking skills will have already been very well established, and as far as the child's brain is concerned, he already knows all that he needs to know about speaking and comprehending the English words. Now, after about 6 years of experience, this child will then go to school. His brain is then struck with some new information from a teacher and some text books, which are now informing the child, that what he had already learned (so far), is really not entirely correct. He is then being led to believe that his brain must now make some very necessary reparations in order to improve his English comprehension and speaking skills. He must now learn how to speak the English language, in the most proper and predetermined manner. The child's brain doesn't like this idea very much, because his brain has already become quite accustomed to, and quite satisfied with the manner in which it has already learned this skill.  His brain is now wondering why, something which works so perfectly well, must be changed. But this child had also learned about discipline very early on. He understands the meaning of order and uniformity, and so the child knows that he must now follow some new rules and instructions.  This child will then listen to the teacher with full comprehension, and he will read his text books.  He will then learn all of the new information as it is being presented to him.  He will now learn to read, speak and to write in accordance with this new English language information, doing this in the very new manner in which he is now being taught.  Much of this new information will change the child's understanding of the English language for the child's entire lifetime.  However, the logic within that child's brain, will allow him to accept only the changes which will allow that child to respond to any new incoming information, in a manner in which that child's brain can determine to be the least complicated. Logic, will then dictate to that child, that it is very illogical to choose to apply a very complex action or thought process, when the most simple action or thought process, will work equally as well. The least complicated manner will also require the use of much less energy and time. Truly, it would require very, very much concentration and self discipline for anyone to totally change their interpretation of the English language, along with that person's methods of applying it.  Many people can actually accomplish this, but most will not.  Now why is this so???  ...When all of us look around, and we witness the activities of others, we can then realize that everything (regarding the use of the English language), is working PERFECTLY well for us. Everyone can speak, write and read this simplified, wrong form of the English language, so perfectly well. So logically, why should we change it?  I am one of such a person.  I have altered and improved my English language perception very much during the course of my lifetime. However, I have done so, only because my choices regarding my learning and my use of proper English, to the very best of my ability, has given me much dignity, respect, and also the rewarding feeling of accomplishment. When I attempt to write something to a very special person, or if I may write something which might require public exposure; I will always try to do my very best to make all of my English statements very properly legible. I would also be following just as close to the correct rules of English, as I possibly could. However, I have not achieved perfection in all of these endeavors.  Now, it would be impossible for me to do any better, because there is that little voice, deep down inside of me which repeatedly continues to inform me of the fact that: Everybody around me still continues to read, speak and write, while using the English language in the most simplified manner.  We can also comprehend everyone's version of the English language very perfectly well.  We experience no comprehension problems what-so-ever from the errors of our grammar. We can also understand those people who use 'perfect English', just as easily as we can understand those who do not. Logic determines that it is a lot easier and much more simple to do it the wrong way, than it is to do it the right way.  So, if we find that there is really no logical reason why we should do it the right way; then why should we do it the right way at all?  When I had been in High School, I had taken a course in English.  I had a very excellent and wonderful English teacher, who had known perfect English, very well.  This teacher would speak and demonstrate very many examples of perfect English to our class, so very remarkably well.  Then one day, I have had the opportunity to accidentally overhear my English teacher while she had been engaging in a spontaneous conversation with another teacher.  While she had been speaking so very eloquently with the use of her English skills, I had still noticed that her manner of speech had been slightly different than the English which she had been teaching in the classroom. It had then occurred to me that she had known perfect English, she could teach perfect English, but she could not speak perfect English while she had been actively engaged in a spontaneous conversation with another person. This had been quite amusing to me.  It has been said that "Old Habits Die Hard"!  I would venture to say that this statement is very true to life.  Especially when those old habits had been formed so very early on, in a person's life.  When we speak in a very simple manner, this leaves us so very much more room for us to apply additional words of power, as well as emotion, to whatever feelings or emotions, which we may be attempting to express.  Poets and Songwriters, have always done this as well, and they still continue to do so.  This is what is known as "Poetic License".  Poetic License, is actually a license to do it the wrong way.  Regarding any of those Poets from the past (even the very best), who had ever written a very beautiful and emotional poem; this would not have been possible, if that Poet would have chosen to use perfect English for expressing his feelings and emotions.  I guess that when it comes to the English language; sometimes even bad things can be good!
My conclusion to all of this, is that people will always love to strive for perfection, even though it is not possible to achieve perfection. There are no perfect human beings.  We may always fall short of our goals by some degree, but we can find so very much satisfaction and pride, with just knowing that we had done our very best in all that we have attempted to do.

SPOILED ROTTEN?

I think it was because I had grown up, in the wake of WWII.  Then only a few years later, there had been Korea!  I had to continue to grow up during that mess as well.  Then, just when I had turned 21 (becoming a young adult), I had been drafted into the "Vietnam Era" as well.  My Country had called upon me for help and I was quite proud to be of service to my country and to the people whom I had loved. My entire YOUNG LIFE had been lived under the influence of WAR!  My siblings and I had grown up during some of the toughest years of modern times.  These times were especially tough for my parents.  They needed to raise 3 children on extremely limited resources.  My parents wanted to give the entire world and everything in it, to us Kids, but they had been stuck in a rut, with very little to offer to us.  These times had been extremely hard for them.  Many times I would see my Mother crying and I would ask her why she had been crying.  She tried to explain the situation to me, but as a child, without very much experience in living, there just had been no way that I could possibly understand the tremendous impact that these hardships could possibly have had upon my parents. We Kids however, did feel the impact of their troubles and we had to go through all of those very tough times, in the dear, loving care of our amazing, struggling parents.  We did make it through all of those very difficult times.  Hardships?  Yes; we had gone through all of it together, and we can remember it all so very well.  However, because of our parent's hardships, we children had grown to become such amazingly strong adults. As adults; we could now understand the hardships of our parents.  We had then turned to our very own children, and we had very desperately wanted to give them everything that we had never had as children.  Almost all parents of my generation had given so very much to their children. Some children had received much, and some children had received much less.  But nearly all of our children had received everything that they had needed and so very much more. They had received all of our love and compassion, as well.  As more new generations come to pass, some very important and interesting questions arise.  Could it be that we had given the children of generations following us, just a little bit too much?  Could it be that we had spoiled them rotten?  They seem to cry, every time things don't go exactly as they had planned.  They seem to be quite irresponsible and they blame others for their very own short-comings.  They never seem to be happy enough anymore.  I could be wrong, but the way that I see all of this, is that we had not had succeeded in making our children stronger as our parents had done with us.  We had made them much weaker.  I, now think of 'Human nature' as very strange, when I find that hard times and very difficult struggles, tends to make us so very much stronger, while good times, and very much abundance, seems to make us so very weak and vulnerable!  Maybe there is a happy medium out there somewhere; but if there possibly is; we certainly are having a very hard time, finding it.