Different Lives

As you walk past tall, old fashioned glass windows you see a lonely old man in a small, worn down café who strains for someone to talk to. His trembling eyes filled with regret that are looking forward into space. You can see his frightened face wondering what is going to happen next. There is no one for him to express how he feels, so he sips a small glass of brandy followed up by so many more to take away his pain. This awful addiction tears him up inside, but it is the only thing in his existence that gives him comfort. None of us choose this picture when we grow older. Sadly, old age will occur and when it does, it up to the younger generation to resopect and support the old.

Not only kids, but adults as well do not always give their elders the right amount of respect that is needed. We tend to think that we know everything there is to know about the world around us, when the generation above us expierienced a lot more. The young man, who worked as a waiter, had a family who stayed up for him at home as he worked the nights to support them. Unlike this man who was a family oriented individual, he had someone who he would wait on hand and foot to solve his alcoholic disease. Statics show that there are more than twelve million alcoholics in the United States. As the young waiter knew this man had an disease, no respect granted to him. A tragedy that took place in the old man’s life is that he became deaf. Since the waiter again showed no admiration, he would talk to this man in words that would be painful to hear. This scene is showing much cowardness. Younger generations need to respect the people above us, because each person is great inside.

As the young waiter was selfish, the older waiter was the complete opposite. This man was a settled older gentleman who was a little more introverted and quiet than the others. He had a lot of similar connections to the older man with the disease. One line in the story that really jumped out to me was "He does not even spill when he drinks". It stated that this man could have also went through rough times as well, and he knows that this man is struggling in life. Possibly, this older waiter was a mirror image of the older man. The older waiter was deserted as well, which again is another key word as to how these two gentlemen connected through personal emotions. Even though only one man stood up for him, that is all he would want to know in his heart. The older waiter is a lot wiser on what is going on with this man due to the fact of his age. Something many more people should understand is that older people know more than young kids or adults. Taking note of others makes you prudent to what is going on in the outside world.

When you have a heartrending, depressing disease it makes you feel torn up inside. You think we are against you, and feel as if gossip. Not wanting to be around you because you have hardships with something in life is a hard quandary to overcome. This old man was quiet and depressed and had no one was there for him. Sitting in a lighted café was all he waited for, to make his day exceptional. With sitting in that light it seemed to give him a spirit of ecstasy and peacefulness throughout his living. His dejection led to a suicide attempt, though he had one person there to bring his soul back to being happy. Statistics show that in the United States in the year of 2001 there were 30,622 suicide deaths. That number is incredibly high, and has probably increased since then. The attempt of ending his life happened because of his alcholism. Unfortunately, this old man can't control when he drinks and how often he does. This compulsion leads to depression and emptiness filled throughout your life. When you suffer from this problem, find someone to help pull you through, because keeping it locked inside of you makes you go fanatical wandering what has happened that made you steer in the wrong direction.

Though we all will get old, younger people need to respect and support the older generation. As we get older, we start thinking about are lives and our journies we lived through. None of us want to have our lives end by not having people that care for you. This is why we need to support and respect people older than us. Now, as you walk past that same elderly, worn down café you see a different face appearing in the window. You see someone who does not have apprehension flowing through their eyes, and feel happy because they have someone to love them back.