Useful mouths
Reading in Simone De Beauvoir’s Coming of Age today. It seems that old age was almost always a matter of economics: the useless mouth did not get fed. It was resented. When the older person was able to retain ownership (ownership is a new concept in the long sweep of history), then he (usually, he) was able to guarantee his food supply, and good treatment. But if not, the older person was killed or neglected to death.
But now we have the ability, in our affluence especially, to convert our long view to value for the generations. We are useful mouths/heads/dreams/spirits.
:- Doug.
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