I have always liked older people.

My parents were close to many of their aunts and uncles so I got to know and appreciate that generation when I was a kid.

I especially appreciate how many of those folks treated me as a kid.

One afternoon when I was 13 years old, my Great Uncle Bill and Great Aunt Lena drove up our long farm lane. Lena wanted to visit with my mother in the house; Uncle Bill stayed outside and struck up a conversation with me.

Uncle Bill was driving a late model General Motors automobile; I think it was a Buick. At 13, I was enamored with cars and I remember admiring Uncle Bill’s luxurious car (compared to our dented ’57 Ford family sedan.)

“Go ahead and crawl behind the wheel,” Uncle Bill suggested. I did so, imagining what a treat it would be to drive this boat down the highway. Bill pointed out the features on the dashboard. In the years before cruise control this car had a speed reminder. You could set a point on the speedometer and when you exceeded that speed a buzzer sounded. It was a good way to avoid speeding tickets.

I can’t remember any other details from that visit nearly 65 years ago. What I do remember is that Uncle Bill, who was approaching the age I am now, took time to visit with a 13-year-old boy and how that boy felt receiving that attention.

While I was serving as the daily newspaper publisher in Creston 30-plus years ago I appreciated the retired men of the community who occasionally stopped by my office unannounced and sat down for a visit. One older fellow told me he had helped plaster the walls of the city’s five-story Iowana Hotel when it was built in 1919. He also shared a few bits of racy Creston history. Another had begun serving as the manager of the town’s J.C. Penny Store in the year I was born. Another was a farmer who had served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. A week or so after his grandson was killed in a farm tractor accident he stopped by my office one afternoon, obviously needing someone to talk with. I cried with him that day.

Each of these and other older men left positive impressions and memories.

Twenty-five years ago I became the executive director of the Iowa Newspaper Foundation and, as a result, became acquainted with many of Iowa’s newspaper editors and publishers. One such individual was older, a real character with a wonderful sense of humor.

This gentleman suffered from mobility problems; difficulties with his feet and legs. On a number of occasions at meetings and conferences I assisted him by offering an arm or a hand. I was usually rewarded with a new joke or humorous anecdote.

Life has come around to the point where I am finding it enjoyable to visit with and encourage young people. Our church has sizeable middle school and high school youth groups and each of the kids I have visited with is polite, pleasant and interesting.

The teen years can be difficult and these young people need encouragement from the older generation. Young guys need to know that old guys appreciate and take an interest in them. Young women also need to understand that older men appreciate and take an interest in them while showing them the respect they deserve from a gentleman.

At the same time, I am realizing that today’s young people are polite and have respect for older folks.

Age is challenging my mobility. I walk slowly with a cane. I have been pleasantly surprised by the younger people who open and hold doors for me. On occasion I have dropped something on the floor in a store and a stranger, often a young person, will pick it up for me. One icy Sunday last winter a young man offered me his arm as I walked towards our church.

When I was younger I developed an appreciation and respect for older people. Now that I’m older, I have an appreciation and respect for younger people and they seem to respect me.

It all works out to be a simple formula. Canadian author Anthony Douglas Williams described it this way: “Treat others with respect and others will respect you.”

Arvid Huisman can be contacted at huismaniowa@gmail.com. ©2025 by Huisman Communications.