Perhaps today is the day to talk about the romanticization that the film industry puts out on senior living and the respect children back in the day had. Last night we watched a television show from 1962 that did not filter reality of being old and young. In each age group you had your rotten kid and you had your bitter grandmother. Both were conniving, manipulative, vengeful, verbally abusive, and scary to be around.
As much as we like to paint a picture of a beautiful world where old people age gracefully and young people are pure and full of wonder, it’s best to accept that in real life, that’s not always the case. Although, it can be with some time and an open mind to change. People aren’t perfect. No two parents raise their kids the same way. And no two elderly grandparents spoil their grandchildren the same. The two worlds can be opposites.
In one family, you have children who balance play, follow all rules, say please and thank you, hug and kiss their grandparents before doing anything else when visiting, then go to bed on time every night like little angels.
In another family you have grandparents that live for their grandchildren and wish to see them as often as they can. They sneak cash into their grandchildren’s pockets, feed them the sweetest of treats, and say yes to anything those children ask for.
Meanwhile, across the street, you have kids with neglectful parents or those who are abusive. Typically, these children will come to resent those around them and take actions that stimulate a response from their parents or grandparents. To be punished is to be noticed.
Then you have the grandmother who despises her daughter-in-law and the children she gave birth to; not all children, just the one that looks like her. She makes passive-aggressive comments about how lazy her daughter-in-law is. She gossips to her visiting friends about how terrible of a mother she is. In return, she neglects her grandchildren and is strict with rules when they are near. No one, but her own son, is worthy of her love and attention. And no one in this world deserves her son’s love and attention as she does.
These are clearly hypothetical situations and don’t occur as this. However, it has happened. And the reason we even wrote about them is because we can count on two hands the number of family situations where this has occurred in our own lives. Maybe that’s why we fantasize about positive and bright familial settings. That’s probably the reason we dream about being in grandma’s kitchen and baking a cake with her. We see ourselves with smiles from ear-to-ear, storing such fond memories of sweet scents and laughter.
It’s okay to have been a product of a negative situation. If you were one of those kids who grew up with cold grandparents, you’re not alone. If you’re a senior who feels sad about how your grandkids turned out, you’re not alone, either. It’s still perfectly normal to envision fantasies. And surely, there must be at least one or two beautiful moments within your family that you can take to heart and keep forever. If you are one of these people, stick around and find an article that makes you happy. Get insights into shows we watch that make us smile, like the Twilight Zone’s Kick the Can episode.
Although it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, it’s nice to know there are films and real-life stories out there that make us feel normal. Thankfully, black-and-white films don’t always hide the truth. It’s good to know we have people like Boris Karloff and Rod Serling who shed light on the truths and mysteries of our existence as humans. The imagination can be a wonderful place to live and can heal even the deepest wounds.