Elderly Full Of Surprises

It is a tantalizing headline but let's not forget the reality of being a senior. For many they just eke out an existence living on CPP and OAS while governments find millions to pump into troubled communities to help at risk kids. They struggle to keep a roof over their head, increasing property taxes and cope with increased costs for utilities. How about pumping more money into supporting "at risk" seniors!!!

Elderly full of surprises
By Wayne Newton

Never mind asking if the kids are all right. It's the old folks we're worried about today.

Seems the geriatric set has discovered rock and roll, at least if a new pop group comprised of 40 seniors, give or take, from Great Britain is any indication.

Taking their name from a brand of walker familiar to many of them, the Zimmers have become a sensation on the Internet via YouTube, and on the airwaves. The Zimmers' recording of a raw, aggressive rock anthem, My Generation, is one of the most popular hits on YouTube and near the top of the music charts in Britain.

Quite a thing when you consider the oldest member of the Zimmers is 100 and lead singer Alf Carrot is 90.

The song, with the classic line "Hope I die before I get old," was recorded as part of a BBC documentary probing the state of the elderly, examining their feelings of loneliness and isolation. These are familiar issues among the aged, who often find themselves isolated due to transportation or mobility issues and lonely as their friends and family die. Too often, seniors' issues are off the political radar screen.

That should change and it will as more of the baby boom generation move into their twilight years. According to Statistics Canada, between 2026 and 2041 the number of elderly people in our society as a percentage of our overall population will grow rapidly. StatsCan projects almost 10 per cent of Canadians will be between 75 and 84 by 2041.

While the My Generation video is good fun and effectively challenges our perceptions of the elderly, we're not so enthused about another discovery of the senior set: sex. Or rather, sex for money.

Sun Media's Thane Burnett reports a high-rise brothel in Germany offers cut-rate services for codgers from noon until 5 p.m. daily. Apparently, and perhaps thanks to Viagra, it's quite a hit.

It's not quite the standard image of grandpa. We're more comfortable with him hitting the half-price buffets, coupon in hand and pants pulled up past the belly button somewhere in Florida than with pants down somewhere in Germany.

Still, it serves as a reminder that our elderly are people, full of life, opinions, wants and wishes. They're part of us and should never be marginalized or forgotten.