[Margaret Pilkington]

I do not expect respect from anyone.
Age alone is not a reason for respect.
However, I think that courtesy and kindness are the lubricants of social interaction.
They make life a lot smoother.
It costs nothing(in financial terms anyway) to be courteous.
We meet people on a daily basis and touch their lives.rarely do we know the difficulties that person is living through. Most people, even those who do a lot of moaning, will have private worries and anxieties which may colour how they are perceived.
So a kind word from us(or at least a word which is not calculated to be sharp and cutting) may make all the difference.
So, don't respect me for my age, because inside this old shell there is a nineteen year old wondering what the hell happened. Don't respect me for my past work.....it is gone. I did what I did to earn a crust. It isn't that relevant to who I am now.
If you must respect me, do it from how you find me to be right now.