Simplicity of bygone days not forgotten

It seems the older we get, the more time we spend looking back on how life used to be when we were young and spry. It seems life has passed us by, and to some extent it has. To-day’s world with it’s internet, face book, and other technical innovations can be confusing, strange and at times, unnerving. It moves too fast for some of us. Gone are the days of coal oil lamps, Sears Roebuck & Co. catalogs (1896-1993), which has been said to be a mirror of those times, underwear made from flower sack material, morning and evening milking, and the long walks to and from school in all kinds of weather. Growing up in those days was hard, but it didn’t kill us. What it did do was to make us appreciative for what we did have, tough and determined. Those characteristics are some of the reasons why to-day’s seniors are called the greatest Generation.

Because money was tight and mostly non-existent, to-days seniors learned to enjoy the simple pleasures of life at an early age. Sunday- going -to – meetings and the “all day singing and dinner on the ground” church events. local dances and family gatherings to name a few that even to-day remain affixed in our memories.

Fishing has always been part of rural living and urban living as well although maybe not as much. Though not entirely monetarily free, it was and is a recreational activity that cost very little and for the most part pays off handsomely. Because restrictive accessibility and the potential for injuries, river and stream bank fishing in not feasible for many seniors, however, lake fishing is another story, especially if those lakes have easy accessible fishing docks or piers that meet the needs of individuals with physical  disabilities. South Puget Sound has several privately owned resorts with such facilities, opened to fishing year-round and stocked with hatchery raised rainbow trout on a regular basis by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Bud Herlitska, manager of the Spanaway Boathouse, a senior citizen himself said “The frequent gatherings of seniors on our fishing pier is more like a community meeting. While fishing is the main focal point, a cross-section of viewpoints, ideas and information are commonly shared. Current and past health issues, as well as federal, state and local politics are also a common themes. There is a wealth of information and experience among those groups and politicians would be well advised to listen to their concerns and suggestions. After all, those seniors have live through the good and bad times and most near and dear to their hearts, is the well being of this country.”

It has been said seniors are supposed to be wiser, more hard-headed, skeptical and not willing to gamble their lives on promises of a rosy future. Whether this is true or not, one fact that has endured over time is that seniors tend to vote in higher numbers and more faithfully than younger voters. According to a U.S. Census Bureau report there are now more Americans 65 and older than at any time in U.S. history. People 65 and older now make up 13 percent of the nation’s total population and is expected to increase rapidly over the next decade as more baby boomers start to turn 65. By 2050, projections indicate individuals over 65 will comprise 20.9 percent of the population.

Note: This will be my last column for a while. Some medical issues need to be taken care of.

Bob Brown can be contacted at “robertb1285@centurylink.net.”