[Ttha-potm] re: Childhood among the ferns

[Julian W. Whipple]

And thank you, Rosemarie.  You are absolutely spot-on about Japan.  In all my years there I have never once been slighted because of my white hair, just the opposite.  I have even been offered seats on buses and trains by people older than I am.  Premature white has its advantages!
 
Julian the Senescent
"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like bananas."

> Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:11:25 -0500> To: ttha-potm at coyote.csusm.edu> From: Rosemarie.morgan at yale.edu> Subject: RE : [Ttha-potm] re: Childhood among the ferns> > This is very interesting - "senility." I fear we in the West often use the > word too loosely and far too pejoratively! Your usage, Ilaria, is > possibly truer to the meaning of the word which simply indicates ageing and > degeneration: loss of the senses, hearing, sight, taste and mobility, > accompanied by loss of memory and judgement. This is the fate of all of > us. In some degree or other. I noticed, when living in Greece, that > senility wasn't scoffed at, not ever! It simply signifies the time, and > stage of life, when the aged need more care, sympathetic understanding and > respect. Japan is possibly the most culturally sensitive to ageing (out of > all the countries I have lived in, anyway). You do not "talk over" a > wandering mind but listen respectfully. You don't ignore or discredit (the > same) but offer solicitude and understanding. The Japanese even have a > 3-day festival celebrating the aged.> > Somehow we have lost touch with celebrating our aged, as with celebrating > our ancestors. I sense that in the West we lump senility in with > Alzheimers, insanity and serious degenerative diseases generally.> > I appreciate Ilaria's insights on senility if only because she appears to > accept (like my Greek friends) that it is a natural phase of life and not > to be confused with a serious derangement of mind (and if it were, it would > not invite disrespect) and total disability of body but rather a slow > deterioration of both.> > Thank you Ilaria,> Best> Rosemarie> > > > >Hello Carolyn,> >"senility" is simply old age for me, I am not a native speaker. I use it > >in Italian as well, it is a Latin word. nothing insane absolutely.> > > > >Thank you, ilaria> > > _______________________________________________> TTHA-POTM mailing list> TTHA-POTM at coyote.csusm.edu> http://coyote.csusm.edu/mailman/listinfo/ttha-potm
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