When I was a young boy I noticed that some people did not really like very old people, and it puzzled me. It still does.

I liked them. I loved hearing their stories. I enjoyed them sharing their life experiences with me, and I learned many things from them. I respected them for allowing me to benefit from their experience and knowledge.

But other people didn't.

My wife Lynda and I were in Broad Street Bakery one Saturday morning, and the floor was filled with delightful and friendly little girls and their mommies on their way to some kind of children's function or party. Lynda and I were enjoying talking with the little excited chatterers. While Lynda stepped up to the counter to place our luncheon order, I continued to talk with the little girls. And ... as soon as their mothers noticed ... they hurriedly ran over and herded them away from me, apparently fearing I was some kind of pervert or something. I was disappointed, hurt, and rather embarrassed.

A nice young lady from Clinton who was still in high school told me one day that she was planning a career in television although she knew very little about the business. I invited her to visit the television station where I was employed as a producer of special programs to see how the station operated on a daily basis and what was involved in the different areas of that operation, giving her a glimpse into the day to day lives of the staff as they performed their various tasks or jobs,

She would have seen firsthand and experienced everything from reception to on-air programs. She was excited about her forthcoming visit. I insisted she discuss it with her parents. She did. And her mother called me furiously and very personally attacking me, accusing me of trying to take advantage of her daughter and threatening me with legal action. I told her, "Ma'am, you are so wrong. I don't care whether your daughter chooses to come visit or not, but I do care that you have such a ridiculous reaction to a very charitable and respectful offer and very unique opportunity for your daughter to personally examine and better understand the television career that she is presently considering.”

Of all societies on this planet, we USA citizens are the most uncaring and even downright disrespectful of our elderly. Other societies lift them up, elevating them to a real position of respect and honor, and they listen to them and learn from them.

But we Americans do not.

We hurriedly discard our elderly when they become a problem to us. Most of our nursing homes are full, and more are being built every day. Grown children no longer have time for their elderly parents and make excuses for why they cannot care for them.

My own Mother is of necessity in a nursing home in my old hometown. We were told one day that she had cancer, and she didn't have long to live, perhaps two to three months. That was more than 10 years ago. She is not physically able to take care of herself, requiring 24 hour a day nursing, and she has Alzheimer's, which is so very sad to me. My mother no longer recognizes me, her eldest. She does know I am always sending her things. But she is not left to die alone. My younger sister is there every day, overseeing our mother's care, and I thank God for her.

The lowest score my mother ever received on an IQ test was 165. She has been a nurse all of her life. She was only 17 when I was born, and we kind of grew up together. I loved being reared by her.

I never asked a question of my mother for which she did not give me a very direct, specific, detailed and complete answer. I remember once a lady exclaiming, "Dorothy, why would you tell the boy all of that!?!" My mother's calm, matter of fact reply was simply, "Because he asked."

I learned many things from my mother, her knowledge and her experiences.

Today we can all learn from our elders. Let us do it. Let's take the time necessary to love them, to care for them, to visit with them, to listen to them, to learn from them and to act on their advice. If we do not, we are literally wasting one of the USA's greatest natural resources, and dishonoring them and us.

The Bible says, "Honor your father and mother; that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives you." That is the Fifth Commandment from God, the first one that deals with our human relationships with one another. The first four have to do with our relationship with God.

I do not expect you to do anything just because I said you should do it, but do not dare fail to do something God commanded you to do.

"Honor you father and mother." Honor our USA elderly.

May God help us to save the USA.

Dan Hanchey is a Northsider.