I am truly fascinated by this model essay who goes by the name Brian Sioson. He got <b>9.0 in Writing</b> and is one of Niners Lecturer/Coach in the Philippines.
How I wish I write like this. haha. Although sobrang haba naman 498 words!!
<b>Today, there is insufficient respect to the elderly by the younger individuals. What do you think are the reasons? What are its effects to the society?</b>
In the past, our elders were regarded by many as <u><b>pillars of wisdom</b></u>. They were once respected and admired like the <b><u>oldest trees that bear the sweetest fruit</u></b>, the <b><u>majestic colonnades</u></b> that have <b><u>withstood the test of time</u></b>, or the musical instruments that have sounded richer and more provoking <b><u>with time's passing</u></b>. However, at present, they only exist to serve as <b><u>skeletal reminders</u></b> of how spiteful and disrespectful our world has become to the elderly.
Today's society is one that exclusively advocates the youth and disregards the aged. Ours is a government and media structure that poisons our minds to believe that the youth are <b><u>shining beacons of hope</u></b> while the elderly are just <b><u>tarnished relics of times gone by</u></b>. Because of this impression, some young people tend to perceive the elderly as incapable of providing any benefit to their families and the society.
Furthermore, we now live in the so-called disposable era, where our twisted culture has compelled us to assume that everything that has served its purpose must be discarded. Hence even our seniors, whose roles are mistakenly thought of as antiquated and irrelevant, are shunned by the public.
Respect to the elderly can be gleaned at home or in schools. However our busy and demanding lifestyle has offered few parents the luxury of time to discipline and supervise their children. Even schools have failed to teach the youth about basic courtesy in the community. Because of this, younger individuals tend to assimilate the wrong set of values, making them impertinent, if not aggressive towards the weaker members of the community, particularly the elderly.
Clearly the modern world has become the most unfriendly place for our seniors. These days, it is not anymore uncommon to hear stories about old people being assaulted, abused, disparaged, denied of employment, confined in nursing homes, forcefully retired, or made to pay unreasonable insurance policies. Yet, we fail to realize that in maltreating our elders, we lose a significant part of our humanity, for they are the sources of our wisdom, knowledge and inspiration. They are <u><b>repositories of insights</b></u> that define the texture of the delicate fabric of our culture and society. Surely, there are a lot of things we could learn from our seniors if we only cared to listen. However, since a lot of us have opted to drive them away, we have lost much from our once vibrant culture, including values, traditions, family stories, wise advises and the lessons in life that are learned the hard way.
Indeed, the contemporary world is not the most propitious place for the elderly to live with a sense of dignity or die in a state of grace, not because many people deliberately disrespect them but because few are willing to fan the <b><u>dying embers of their legacy</u></b> and impart it to the future generations.