HONORED CITIZENS

The Old Rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

In my first article I struggled using the adjective ‘old’ in describing us aged persons beginning at 80 years of age.  I went through a series of words which are used to identify us as related to our age finally deciding that old was the best word to use without hurting the feelings of any one who is at least 80 years old.

I have a friend who lives in Portland Oregon who has informed me that their trolley and bus systems which by the way are very good allow people beginning at 65 years of age to ride at the reduced rate of only $1.  These people are named ‘honored citizens’.  How wonderful to provide cheap transportation to us old people most of whom are on what is called a fixed income. 

I will take issue with the age a person becomes honored.  Certainly, 65 years of age is not old.  I was still working at my profession when I was that age. So I am a bit confused by what ‘honored’ really means. So, I looked up this word in my Webster’s New World Thesaurus and found that the word honored can have several meanings.  And, these are the wonderful words which I found: respected, revered, decorated, privileged, celebrated, well-known, esteemed, eminent, distinguished, identified, noble, recognized, highly-regarded, and venerated. 

Oops I don’t see ‘cheap rides’ and ‘being old’ as criteria for the privilege of being honored.  I probably didn’t see it because I have a cheap edition of a thesaurus.  Still I am honored that Portland has tagged us old people with so many wonderful descriptive words.

Obviously then, being honored as defined by age is really far more than being old and being old includes far more than just having a lot of years on our bodies.  Could I be respected, esteemed and distinguished just because I am old?  I always wanted to be those things and now I am?  Until now, I was totally unaware that just staying alive for a long time ushered me into such a high quality of class.

Of course most cities don’t recognize us old people as having such esteemed qualities.  And, that is too bad because we have contributed to society for all of those years.  And, in retirement we still attempt to do some good things for our community.  So, most of us in some degree have earned the honored badge.

On the other hand, just maybe there is one of those above listed analogs which does apply to old age.  So, let’s take a look:

• Respected – might work for suddenly a couple of years ago I was referred to by perfect strangers as ‘sir’. And, I get to go into a building ahead of younger people.  Well sometimes…
• Revered – to be honored yes but just because I am old?
• Decorated – for just being old?  Where is my medal?
• Privileged – well with discounts for being old I guess I am privileged.
• Celebrated – I did not celebrate when I got old but maybe I should have for like I have written before, growing old is a privilege which more than half of my friends will not enjoy.
• Well-known – I don’t think being old makes me well-known.  In fact as my friends, who knew me best die I am really becoming less well known.
• Esteemed - I don’t think I am admired more than when I was younger.
• Eminent – well-known, renowned, important, distinguished, famous, reputed, prominent?  Just for being old? Not really, but many years ago living my career I did enjoy some of those very nice words.
• Distinguished – I don’t think old age made me distinguished.
• Identified – this one does fit for now I am identified as an old person.
• Noble – being old my moral character has not improved, I am not an aristocrat nor magnificent for being old?
• Recognized – no more than when I was younger. Perhaps even less so…
• Highly-regarded – being old has not increased this so-called attribute.
• Venerated – wow, to regard someone with profound respect or to honor somebody as sacred or special.  I guess being old is somehow special, but sacred?

So, thank you Portland for being so generous with your ‘honored’ badge even if it is deserved only sporadically in the above list.

I have visited Portland a couple of times and found it to be a marvelous city with its center full of wonderful restaurants, many useful stores, theaters and museums all

accessible by several inexpensive modes of communal transportation.  In fact, Portland is indeed the only good-sized city of which I am aware where all of a person’s living and entertainment needs are well within walking distance.  And, it is a friendly city full of parks nestled beside a rather large river.

Indeed Portland is a great city where it is a privilege (by definition) to be an honored citizen. On the other hand I would rather be honored with the numerous definitions which

I have listed than earning it the hard way by simply growing old.  In fact, it would be honored when I was much younger so I could enjoy it for many more years.  Being old by definition describes a limited duration when it can be enjoyed.

But in this column I will continue to use the word ‘old’ to describe my ‘honored’ condition making it very clear that even though I would love to be included in all of those definitions of honored I simply must acknowledge that it was earned simply by living a very long time.

Once again I sign off asking my readers that my exciting mystery e-novel Mary is available on Amazon so get your Kindle out and order it today for the ridiculously low price of $5.95.

Yes, I realize that this article is a short one but I had to get the word ‘honored’ out in public where everyone of my many readers can bask in its glories. Love you all and for my old readers keep the faith!

10/14