Nice 2 hours with 83 year-old man

[BXMurphy]

I was standing in a sunny 50° day collecting signatures for a couple of statewide politicians when up walks a sprightly gent to sign. After a few moments of obligatory teasing over the miserly free coffee and doughnuts, we spent the next couple of hours just chewing over whatever came to us.

Best two hours I've spent just listening. I love a good conversation like that. I hope you have one, too. You just have to slow down and listen.

Murph

 

[JLeonard]

Amazing what you can learn from a elder over a cup of coffee and stale donut.

Jim

 

[MJB05615]

I agree. I've always liked speaking with older generations since I was a Teen. It helped that as a teen in the 70's I was a huge Sinatra fan, so I really had no choice but to talk to elders, lol. To this day, my MIL soon to be 85, and I still talk about the 30's and 40's. Great post Murph.

 

[Bearcarver]

Yup, and it's nice of you Youngsters to communicate with us!

Bear

 

[nicefly]

Having a convo with an old timer is way better than staring at a phone.
He saw the Depression, teenager during Korea and probably served in Vietnam.

Alot of experience there. Nice post.

 

[Winterrider]

Good of you Murph. I'm betting he enjoyed it as much. They just need someone to listen, to tell their stories to.

 

[GaryHibbert]

I've always really enjoyed talking to old people--now that I'm one, they get harder to find. You can pick up such a wealth of interesting info from them, totally different from what you think things were like during their era.
Real nice of you for spending a couple of hours with him.
Gary

 

[Colin1230]

At-a-boy, Murphy. You made that man's day.
While mowing at our church, I would shut the machine down and go set on the driveway in a lawn chair with the neighbor who was a WW II vet, and just visit with him. He has long past now. I sure miss that guy.

 

[BXMurphy]

Yup, and it's nice of you Youngsters to communicate with us!

Bear

He only has 20 years on me but it was nice to just shoot the breeze, talking about nothing. What was really nice was to just stand there for a few minutes just looking around and not saying anything until something else came up.

 

[BXMurphy]

Having a convo with an old timer is way better than staring at a phone.

Word.

That's exactly what I thought coming away from that.

Murph

 

[bigfurmn]

Usually when I have a conversation with the older crowd, I find myself these days not talking much. I love to listen though. I love hearing what they have seen and done. I could (and have) get lost just listening to them. Things i cant imagine or comprehend was what they called Thursday.

 

[BXMurphy]

Amazing what you can learn from a elder over a cup of coffee and stale donut.

Yeah.. I learned his wife died 14 years ago. She made some nice ceramic figurines that light up and everything. For Christmas decorations. Skaters, slender, walking people... a nice pond made out of mirrors. He's just now taking them down and wrapping them carefully before storing away for next season.

Murph

 

[BXMurphy]

Usually when I have a conversation with the older crowd, I find myself these days not talking much. I love to listen though. I love hearing what they have seen and done. I could (and have) get lost just listening to them. Things i cant imagine or comprehend was what they called Thursday.

You got that right!

 

[BXMurphy]

I've always really enjoyed talking to old people--now that I'm one, they get harder to find. You can pick up such a wealth of interesting info from them, totally different from what you think things were like during their era.
Real nice of you for spending a couple of hours with him.
Gary

What was funny was that I had a young lady volunteer with me and as me and the guy got started, it began with just horsing around, gentle teasing and name calling, making fun of each other's screw-ups in life. You know... an adult verbal handshake between men. The young lady gasped a few times, muttered OMG to herself, and eventually shrunk away to chat with another young lady who happened along.



Can't they keep up anymore?

Murph

 

[Colin1230]

Young people are losing the art of friendly conversation.

 

[SmokyMose]

Sadly, when I was young I wasn't much interested in what older people had to say, either. Now that I'm getting old, young folks get bored with me LOL!
Life comes around and goes around...

 

[OldSmoke]

I love listening to stories about yore. My dad used to tell me great stories about growing up in the Dakotas during the Depression and the Dust Bowl, and later in WWII (D Day, France, Germany). My uncle was also a natural story teller. I used to work for him during the summers just to hear his stories.

Later when they moved to assisted living, I met incredible people there including a former WWII Luftwaffe pilot. There was also a resident that was a pilot who participated in Operation Vengeance that shot down Admiral Yamamoto. Unfortunately I was not able to meet him.

I enjoyed having meals and meeting the people staying there. I found them all very interesting if not entertaining. I'll sit and listen for as long as they enjoy talking.

 

[MJB05615]

That's very interesting, nice story thanks for sharing. I meant to mention as well, one perk of hanging with elders, it makes me feel like a young buck when I'm with them.

 

[Brokenhandle]

This is a great thread! Thanks for sharing with us. It's great talking with or listening to the older generation! Not only the older generation but sometimes the ones that people turn away from...might have long hair and a scraggly long white beard ( you're fairly new so maybe never even seen any of my posts at rendezvous) but that's the type of people that make up a good share of the members. Some might not look like they have a pot to pee in but the knowledge gained from them is abundant! Kinda did the same thing a few years ago in Deadwood S.D. sat down on a bench with an older gentleman and sat and visited. I'd seen him around ...long white hair, wearing a bandana...he owned some gulf coast property that had been wiped out by the last hurricane and had spent many years working overseas as an engineer. I really enjoyed it and will never forget it!

Ryan

 

[pi guy]

I agree. I've always liked speaking with older generations since I was a Teen. It helped that as a teen in the 70's I was a huge Sinatra fan, so I really had no choice but to talk to elders, lol. To this day, my MIL soon to be 85, and I still talk about the 30's and 40's. Great post Murph.

HUGE Sinatra fan here. Born in 1972, so I too only had older folks to talk to about him. Relatives used to say I was an "old soul". Still bummed I missed the chance to see him in Detroit when I was about 17 or 18 maybe? No one wanted to go with me and I didn't want to go alone. Kicking myself for that.

Sorry to get off topic, not trying to hijack this great post.