Quote:
Originally Posted by katex
This is reciprocal neighbourliness though Eric; neighbours who are fit and healthy ... Margaret is talking about elderly people who cannot give anything back to the community ... do you help them? That is the question.
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But does true neighbourliness require a quid pro quo? And, of course you help. I think it is a distinctly negative way of thinking to suggest that the elderly have nothing to give to the community, that they are somehow used up and useless. We could all learn from other cultures, First Nations are a good example, in which elders are respected for their experience and the wisdom which often comes with age. And there are rewards for helping, not the least of which is feeling good about doing something useful for someone else ... as long as it is done with spontaneity, and not out of a sense of obligation.