The next Dolphin will be after the 4th of July, the National Independence Birthday. Like all universal things some would argue that is not the absolute correct date. Some say the real vote was on the third and others point out that it was just a declaration of the colonies independence. There was much left to do before we became a nation, the already existing war still had to be won, and a constitution had to be ratified.. Those would take over eleven years. You can pick a date.
That is like many things in life. They are not absolute. I was despondent earlier when one of my favorite TV shows was cancelled. It seems that it was not popular enough with the 18 to 49 year old age group. That is the group that the guys who buy TV ads think is most important. My goodness we who are over 49 are in the fastest growing age group. The implication is that we over 50 don’t count.
It is true I used to think that when something was over fifty it was an antique. It seems that the generally agreed age to be an Antique is over 100 years. Automobiles become antique when they are over 25. Some of mine were younger. Now, if we are over fifty the marketers think we are antique.
Those who watch Antique Road Show know that all antiques are not necessarily valuable. Among other things the condition they are in has a great deal to do with their value. Some might say that old folks are not in particularly good condition. However, I have yet to have any one refuse my money because I am old .Some places even offer a discount because of age to get business. AARP is quite successful recruiting people over 50. So the marketers might be missing something in their planning. There have been articles written, and I might add, grumblings in certain conversations that they don’t really know what is important.
One of the things we are short of in the good old USA is Filial Piety. That is a culture Confucius started way back when in China. The concept spread to a lot of other Asian countries. It is respect for their ancestors and honoring the old folks.
In the USA it is almost the opposite. One of the fastest growing industries is assisted living. This is a place where the old folks can live independently yet be fed and cared for. It only costs money. Grandma doesn’t have to cook and wash and do house work. They just enjoy. This relieves the children space. It allows them to live their lives as they see fit.
I’m not sure which of those cultures has it right. But, I do know that because of the marketing or something like it, I won’t get to watch a TV show I really liked. Regardless, I will celebrate the Nation’s birthday on the Fourth. I picked my date.
