Our aging population

Editor's note: This column originally appeared in the July 8, 1999 edition of the Daily Mail.

I am preparing to teach a series of studies on Humanity Comes of Age this summer. This course is concerned with the plight of older people around the world as our populations grow older, and some of the economic systems to protect older people have been cut back. After spending weeks reading texts on the situations world wide, I spent part of this past weekend at a Bluegrass Festival northeast of Springfield.

There, in a shady ravine out in the middle of nowhere we saw hundreds of older people sitting in lawn chairs enjoying the music as group after group of bluegrass musicians entertained from an open-air stage. There were younger people there also, of course, but the audience probably averaged 60 years in age. Most of these people appeared to be healthy and happy, and a large number of them had come in various types of recreational vehicles, which they parked around the rim of the ravine, and in row after row of designated hook-up spots in a field behind the bathhouses. Most of these vehicles were equipped with air conditioners, bathrooms and modern kitchen appliances.

Since I have no idea what such homes on wheels cost, I can only imagine that the 60 or so acres of humanity represented millions of dollars in investments in cars, trucks, fifth wheelers, trailers and motorhomes. Many had arrived as much as much a week early to get the choice spots in the shade, near the music area. There was a daily parking fee in the grounds, but those of us who just came for a day or two in ordinary cars could park at no cost in another pasture across a dusty road. In addition to those fees, there was an admittance cost for each day or for the weekend of music.

Lester's brother and wife, who had been there for a week, said that their week's expenses, not counting getting there and investment in the fifth wheeler, was about $90. He felt it was a very reasonable cost since only one day in a place like Branson would equal that for the couple.

As I watched the audience enjoying the event (in between watching my nephew who was one of the musicians) I thought of the difference between the lives of these seniors and those I had been studying for weeks.

On that Fourth of July weekend we should all be thankful that those of us who are middle age plus don't live in some of the other countries of the world where "roughing it" in an equipped recreational vehicle would be the height of luxury. I could imagine this pleasant hillside looking much different where the standard of living would make such events impossible.

Although we drove to Starvey Creek in our air-conditioned pick-up, and only had some discount store lawn chairs to carry onto the festival grounds, I couldn't help feeling guilty when I began to be uncomfortable in the heat when the sun broke through the nice shade. All I needed to do to become more comfortable was to visit our relatives in their fifth wheeler, buy an iced drink, or even go across the road to the pickup and turn on the air conditioner there. But I remembered that millions of women and men my age all over the world could never get relief from heat or cold, and probably never had the convenience of ice in a drink.

I couldn't help them by abstaining from seeking the relief that was handy, so I did go buy an iced drink, moved our cheap chairs to a shadier spot and continued to visit and listen to the music. But since 1999 is the International Year of Older Persons, I felt I could at least remind my readers that even though life is good for most of us middle age plus folks in Missouri, we need to know that it isn't even tolerable for our sisters and brothers in other parts of the world.

And I will have to admit that after two days of this activity I was very glad to get home and listen to something besides bluegrass music. Maybe Vernon County should consider having such a festival. I think Marmaduke Park could be a good setting if they added some more bathhouses and hook-ups. And then I could go home in between listening to the band my nephew is in!