This really is a deeply sad and human song. Not just that people work hard their whole lives and then can't even expect acknowledgement of their existence once their greatest accomplishments are behind them, but that time numbs us to life. Even a cut as deep as losing a son eventually is just worn away by the tides of time...
I work in a public library, and we get a lot of lonely older people who just wander in because they have nothing to do and nowhere else to go. One day a cute and spirited 4-year old girl and one of our regular elderly men were waiting to check out. The man leaned down to talk to her, asking how old she was, what books she was getting, telling her how darling she looked, etc. and told her to "never grow up." He then stood up and repeated to nobody, "Never grow up. Growing up is terrible and growing old is horrible." I will never forget the look he gave and the way he said that as long as I live.
This really is a deeply sad and human song. Not just that people work hard their whole lives and then can't even expect acknowledgement of their existence once their greatest accomplishments are behind them, but that time numbs us to life. Even a cut as deep as losing a son eventually is just worn away by the tides of time...
I work in a public library, and we get a lot of lonely older people who just wander in because they have nothing to do and nowhere else to go. One day a cute and spirited 4-year old girl and one of our regular elderly men were waiting to check out. The man leaned down to talk to her, asking how old she was, what books she was getting, telling her how darling she looked, etc. and told her to "never grow up." He then stood up and repeated to nobody, "Never grow up. Growing up is terrible and growing old is horrible." I will never forget the look he gave and the way he said that as long as I live.