Every Person Has A Story

While walking the family dog yesterday I happened to notice a very elderly man walking across the street from me. He was carrying his oxygen machine around with him... He walked very slowly while holding his head down, I suppose to make sure he did not trip on anything. On a gorgeous day normally people really look around and take in the heat from the sun, but this man looked so serious...As the dog was sniffing around on the ground I could not really help but wonder about this person. I don't know, something about him just kind of struck me. I kind of wished he looked my way so I could have waved and smiled at him.... when the dog was finally ready to move on I went on my way, but I found myself wondering what this man's story was. Even now as I am typing this out I can't help but be curious about it....
Every person has a story, and sometimes I enjoy listening to older people's stories when I have the time to. It's like opening up a new book... each person's life is filled with frustrations, first crushes, heartbreak, action, adventure, love, overcoming obstacles, all sorts of things. Maybe it's the romantic in me that finds listening to how they left their mark on the world enjoyable for me.
It makes me sad when young people today seem to try to avoid elderly people, as though they are some sort of plague. There's a term for that; gerontophobia: the fear of old people. I think it's a very silly to fear a person because they are old. They are people just like us, and they have feelings just like we do, and soon enough everyone ends up being old.... maybe not in the mind, but physically. I am sure they notice it when young people are very short with them and are ready to bolt at the very first chance they get. I try not to do that myself, because when I get old I really hope no one treats me like I'm almost invisible. It would make me very sad.... Ok, now I am done rambling....