Mumbai Mirror

I checked the traffic on my site yesterday and found a disproportionate number of people from India. I didn't know why that was until I checked the referring URL. They had all come from an article in the Mumbai Mirror. It was very cool to read an article which not only wrote about my blog, but wrote about my blog so intuitively. Mihir Patkar, whoever you are, Thank You. I have no idea if most people find the elderly as interesting as I do. And, I have no idea if people really give a crap about the journey I'm taking. Regardless, I throw it out there for the world to see and hope for the best. It was really nice to find this come back at me.

Life Advice From Old People

A young man, a camera and a world full of wise old people willing to share some advice

By Mihir Patkar

In India, we are raised with a reverence for those who are older than us. As a kid or a rebellious teenager, the reason for that often seems mysterious. Just because someone is older means they know more? It’s only with age itself that you realise that there is simply no substitute for experience – and that’s what age gives you.

I came across today’s site while surfing one of my favourite geek-tips resources, MakeUseOf, where author Guy McDowell had a very nice way of putting across why senior citizens give the best advice. He wrote: “I like to think they are senior in the way a General is senior to a Colonel. Not senior just because they’ve survived, but because they have overcome.”

This message is prevalent throughout Seth Menachem’s blog, Life Advice From Old People. The blog-based format works best for this one, as there is no more content than an update every few days that has new advice from a senior citizen that the author spoke to.

Basically, Menachem always travels around with his trusty camcorder, and his extroverted nature draws him towards elders. Striking up a conversation, he then asks them to record a short message or a few words of advice for the youth in general.

Now, this would have seemed random at first, but Menachem takes the pains to talk to the subject, figure out a bit about their lifestyle and create a nice profile in the process. It is more a journey you take with him, rather than a video you watch about some random old guy.

Menachem has even got some celebrities on video, with the likes of Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight and Oscar-winning director Errol Morris.

The clips are usually short, succinct and good-humoured. In any case, only a fool would refuse free advice, right?

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/22/2009080720090807130448937575dbca5/Life-Advice-From-Old-People.html