As an older woman, I frequently see issues of discrimination against and contempt for the elderly, but the latest incident made me so angry, I wanted to share it with your readers.
The other day, I was walking my little dog around the pond. We were fabulous and Zen-like, but then I noticed a huge dog approaching. I warned the woman walking the huge dog to control him. Instead, she cooed, “It’s OK—play nice,” but refused to rein in her dog. I said, “My little dog isn’t nice!” and asked her again to control the large animal, but to no avail.
The next thing I knew, I was flying through the air, and—bang!—my head and my ankle both hit the pavement. And can you guess where the woman with the huge dog went? She, too, flew—away from the situation! It wasn’t pretty.
I was hobbling home with my cane, and, lo and behold, our paths crossed again. She obviously ignored me!
This woman’s lack of concern for an older person in distress was simply breathtaking, but unfortunately typical in our litigation-phobic, youth-obsessed society today. We need to pay more attention to those in our community who need help and, when we have the opportunity, extend a helping hand.
Shari Zalkind
Jamaica Plain
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