Saturday was International Day of the Older Person, when younger persons are supposed to stop for a minute or two to notice how the population is aging.
Often the only attention oldies get is blame for the high cost of health care, and fair enough, but even as a special interest group many of us do still contribute to our communities.
My celebration of DOOP was with a different generation. I went to see the Lion King with GDs #6 and #7, then was a guest at GGS#1’s fifth birthday party along with a dozen or so of his peers. One advantage in having young relatives that is often overlooked is that you can use them as an excuse to go to kids’ movies.
I saw the Lion King some years ago with GS#3, but this time it’s 3D and even more impressive.
The little people at the party were also impressive; they were all so polite.
Of the six small fry in our family, one is in Grade 2, one in Grade 1. The birthday boy is in kindergarten. I‘m not convinced five-year olds need to be at school all day but he seems OK with it.
The two four-year olds are in pre-school (Scout Island) and both love it. GGD#2 has a couple of years to go yet before she leaves home. I do worry about what kind of a world it’s going to be when they get to be older persons.
Case in point: the Saturday Vancouver Sun had a full page review of prize-winning author Andrew Nikiforuk‘s latest book Empire of the Beetle.
The book tells how our trees are disappearing and how centuries of mismanagement by humans has allowed, if not encouraged, beetles to run amok in our forests.
Mr. Nikiforuk was here last week. I wish more people had gone to hear him.
Diana French is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian, and book author.
