Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 18 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 10 months ago by
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Why do old people talk so much? They just ramble, talking about nothing, and are as irritable as they want to be. You sit at their house for two hours listening to them, not getting a word in edgewise. Then when you kindly hint at leaving or say you have something important to do, they keep lollygagging. It gets on my nerves. To this day I don’t call my great grandmother because she talks too much.
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Name : D31818, Age : 28, City : St. Louis, State : MO, Country : United States,1) They come from a time when attention spans were longer, so they do not find their stories as ‘long’ as we find them. People in Poland (my wife’s native country) are never happier than when they are all sitting around a table with beverages and snacks, everyone telling their stories in turn, one person at a time talking, and everyone else listening intently. Poland is a very old-fashioned, traditional society.
2) Elderly people often remember long-past events in excruciating detail, and it just comes naturally for them to relate this level of detail as part of the story. They are not making a conscious effort to do it; they are simply lost in the narrative.
3) They perceive their stories as being of greater interest and importance than they actually are. (It would not, however, hurt younger people to stop once in awhile and actually listen to what a senior has to say!)
4) This is just a theory, but I have wondered if they see their lives as coming to a close, and want to tell their stories so the stories don’t die with them.
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Name : Augustine23560, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 42, City : Columbia, State : SC, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Wait until you get old! My grandmother is 92, has a hearing aid and can only see out of one eye. She still does crosswords and sews, but mostly she sits around the house where she lives with my parents. She goes out one time a week to church. She’s lonely and doesn’t have a lot of things to do, so she likes to talk. She says her ‘forgettor’ works overtime, so I think the reason she tells me the same stories over and over is that they’re the only ones she can remember at the moment. I’m sure your great grandmother is lonely, too. What’s so important you can’t call her for half an hour? She’d probably ramble less if she thought you would be calling on a regular basis. Just remember, one day you’ll be old, too. I hope your great-grandchildren are patient and understanding, or you’ll be in the same boat as your great grandmother.
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Name : Sue27734, Gender : F, City : Woodland Hills, State : CA, Country : United States,Some elderly people talk alot because they want someone to listen to them, just like you and I. And some young folks like to talk alot too. So don’t act like its just older folks.
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Name : Nicole, Gender : F, Age : 23, City : Anderson, State : SC, Country : United States,They also never seem to want to listen to anyone else. All these things can be quite irritating, but it might have to do with brain chemistry and it might happen to you. We should treat the elderly with patience and respect.
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Name : Rick29784, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, City : Springfield, State : OH, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I can’t wait until your children and grandchildren treat you wih such disrespect. And believe me, you deserve it.
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Name : Ashley-M, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Wiccan, City : Columbus, State : OH, Country : United States, Occupation : student,If you can’t understand that this is what old people do, you’re a sorry excuse for a grandchild. You’re going to get old, too. You want your grandchildren to treat you like that?
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Name : Gina P., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Lutheran, Age : 36, City : Machesney Park, State : IL, Country : United States, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class,It is so sad that at 28 you have not learned the value of those who have lived before you. I pray one day that you will appreciate your great-grandmother; she probably prays for that, too.
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Name : Ruth G., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 31, City : Atlanta, State : GA, Country : United States, Occupation : Teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,You will, God willing, reach her age and want someone to talk to. If she died, you would regret not talking with her.
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Name : Robert, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 36, City : Savannah, State : GA, Country : United States, Occupation : cook, Education level : 2 Years of College,The elderly deserve respect. Someday when you’re old I hope you get treated the same way. Someday she will pass on and you will be sorry.
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Name : Evil, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 28, City : Tucson, State : AZ, Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,My husband’s grandmother has Alzheimer’s disease and she’s the only grandmother I’ve known since I was 14. She rarely connects words into sentences anymore, but last week, she was surrounded by the family who loves her. We sat and ‘talked’ with her for over 2 hours and had a wonderful time. As I talk with her, I cannot listen to the words, or my brain will go haywire. Instead, I listen to the tone and inflection of her voice. We had some great conversations, passing love back and forth in the form of sounds. That’s what it’s really all about. Listen for the love, and the stories will fascinate and enrich you. Don’t give up on her.
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Name : Betsy, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Unity School of Christianity, Age : 42, City : Baste, State : NC, Country : United States, Occupation : youth director, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,I don’t see why most of these people who responded to D.’s question treat this person as if they are evil and self-centered. I’m the same way. I definitely don’t want to be around elderly people who just keep rambling on and on about nothing, especially if I couldn’t care less. I have better things to do than hear someone’s mouth flapping. So for all you people out there: tell me, am I being selfish?
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Name : Monique20330, Gender : F, City : Ft. Myers, State : FL, Country : United States,My great-grandmother was the same way and so were her two sisters (I was raised by her). She loved to talk. But instead of ignoring her, I’d ask questions about her life and experiences. I learned many things about my family and her life. I now know more about my great-great grandparents and her life during the depression. I also learned very interesting tidbits and gossip about other family members! LOL I’m not going to say you’re evil and self-centered. Don’t ignore her. I lost my g-gm last year and I want nothing more than to have her back. You’ll feel the same way.
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Name : Rhonda Wallace, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 24, City : Fort Worth, State : TX, Country : United States, Occupation : Retail, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class,My own grandfather was unnattached and insulting towards my mother, and treated us children with the same conditional acceptance. Love was out of the question. I choose to spend as little time as possible with him. That’s not selfishness, it’s self interest. I have a daughter who doesn’t need to see me or her grandmother berated. I don’t expose her to it. In my own relations with my mother and my daughter, I cultivate unconditional love, acceptance of acceptable behavior, and condemnation of innapropriate behavior without condemning the person. The older generation could learn from its progeny as much as we can learn from them.
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Name : John, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Human, Religion : Omnitheist, Age : 24, City : Boynton Beach, State : FL, Country : United States, Occupation : Telecommuications, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class,I was born after my parents had been married for 20 years. My parents and their living siblings are all in their 80’s and 90’s, and most are still alive! It gets on my nerves too – especially after I’ve heard the same story for the fifteenth time or more. I don’t fault these glorious old-timers though. They come from a very different era… a different world. I think they feel obligated to entertain me, really. The art of conversation seems to have been much more central to the lives of the WWII generation, before the ubiquitous television became the centerpiece of most homes. I have found the key to enjoying this is to be a participant rather than a spectator. By asking questions, I can take a role in directing the conversation to topics that are more interesting to me – or, God forbid, to things I’ve not heard a zillion times before. These old-timers are usually interested in what is going on in my life and world, too. Another key for me is to forget the clock, quit counting the seconds until my next obligation, and let my consciousness fully participate in these experiences. That’s hard for me – my life is full. Conversation is an art. Any art requires effort, attention and practice.
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Name : Pete, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 43, City : Livonia, State : MI, Country : United States, Occupation : Various, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,
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