Dear Editor
Golden age, as defined by Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: happiness, prosperity and achievement; happiness - good fortune; prosperity - a state of well being and contentment, the condition of being successful or thriving, economic well being; achievement - the act of achieving, a result gained by effort, a great or heroic deed.
I think the one who wrote Webster's Collegiate Dictionary was not old. Maybe he didn't have parents who were "golden aged."
My parents farmed in Manitoba. Dad and mother never went to school. Dad was self-educated. He was a municipal councillor. Mother baked bread every second day and washed clothes by hand. May dad didn't reach golden age. He died in his early 60s. My mother lived until her 84th year. They both had health problems and worked hard. We were very poor. Was that great happiness? Was that prosperity? Dad owned a quarter of land. Mother cooked, canned, grew a garden and milked cows. Was that achievement? She did what was needed to feed her family.
Which of these did our parents have; great happiness, prosperity or achievement?
How about us, now? Are we at golden age? Who coined it as such?
I know of seniors who live in pain, find it hard to make ends meet and they are at "golden age." They should have great happiness, prosperity and achievement, but where is it?
Their families don't visit or phone, because they are busy doing their thing. Some day, they will at that golden age. Who will visit them? It's not great happiness not to know your grandchildren or great-grandchildren. I wouldn't call that achievement or great happiness.
Some say what goes around comes around. That's not true all the time. We could do better. Look after our people. People in far away countries are faceless, our people at home deserve our attention.
Someone should rewrite the definition of golden age.
Annie Zamonsky
North Battleford
