Myth America

If you're fortunate enough to have grandparents who lived through the depression- talk to them. While we're all getting copies of "Dumpster Diving For Dummies" dropped on our front doors and realizing that most of the long-held tenets of the "American dream" were a complete load, we have a serious opportunity for enlightenment. Namely, one in which we finally treat our elders with the respect they deserve. Most other cultures around the globe revere their old people, with good reason- they know lots of shit that we don't. And sure, we still have plenty of crazy oldsters accidentally driving their '62 Skylarks backwards through a Walgreens, but they're not applying to be driver's ed instructors. My grandmother is 95. She doesn't move as quickly as she used to, but she's smart as a whip and still has a keen eye on the world. I'm sure she has stories to tell that would benefit me greatly.

The older things are, the more value they have- just ask my girlfriend as she sits, saucer-eyed, staring at an episode of Antiques Roadshow- and history is written by the winners. Since we're the car-crashing elderly of tomorrow, we'd better learn something from all of the current turmoil if we're going to make this chapter worth reading later on.