Wisdom of the Elders By Eddie V
I’m a thirty-year-old Latino male and I don’t exactly have faith in democracy. What I do have faith in is the power of the people coming together and how over the years we have risen up to make change. Strength lies in the people and together we can make a difference. Then there’s voting...
I work in a nursing facility as an activity aid. During voting season, I’m in charge of engaging the elderly in participating in the voting polls. My job is easy in these circumstances, because our elders have come to understand the importance of voting and the impact one’s vote makes.
That was, until our last presidential election. Our elders were shocked and baffled at the way things turned out. For some it made sense, but the majority could not understand how the numbers of the people were overshadowed, how the popular vote got wiped out by the Electoral College vote. And they were upset to hear of possible tampering of our vote and other political things they didn’t understand. What they did understand is that voting should be simple and trustworthy.
Restoring their faith in their government, in democracy, has been one of the difficulties that I’ve dealt with at work these past few years. It’s become even more difficult because I’ve had to restore it within myself at the same time. Democracy is changing and it’s in our hands to make a difference. The future is in our hands. Let’s all vote!
I work in a nursing facility as an activity aid. During voting season, I’m in charge of engaging the elderly in participating in the voting polls. My job is easy in these circumstances, because our elders have come to understand the importance of voting and the impact one’s vote makes.
That was, until our last presidential election. Our elders were shocked and baffled at the way things turned out. For some it made sense, but the majority could not understand how the numbers of the people were overshadowed, how the popular vote got wiped out by the Electoral College vote. And they were upset to hear of possible tampering of our vote and other political things they didn’t understand. What they did understand is that voting should be simple and trustworthy.
Restoring their faith in their government, in democracy, has been one of the difficulties that I’ve dealt with at work these past few years. It’s become even more difficult because I’ve had to restore it within myself at the same time. Democracy is changing and it’s in our hands to make a difference. The future is in our hands. Let’s all vote!
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Imagine every day you have to stop and slow down, you have to take a moment and redirect your thoughts to see things in a different way. That’s what I have to do every day at the nursing home where I work. It’s not a job for everyone. Most people are on a fast-paced route nowadays, and slowing down is the last thing they want to do. It’s a rewarding job filled with lessons of wisdom, and it teaches good character—above all, patience. I enjoy my work and I hope to one day develop a system of service for quality of life that can be implemented in universal care around the world. |