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Show - Page THE HERALD, Provo, Utah, 18, 1983 Wednesday May 11 Erma Bombeck Today Timely issues, news, features, including family, food, fashion Learning Good Things From Bad Associates belonged in neither one of them. One of the greatest coups Eddie All of my life, my kids have Haskells can pull off is to be condemned by parents. I'll have to brought home Eddie Haskells. Oh, not the real one who was the hand it to old June Cleaver. She boy every mother forbade her son handled it just right. Instead of to play with on "Leave It to saying, "Beav, 1 never want you Beaver." But certainly his coun- to see that boy again," she opened her home to him. terpart. so much found kids My always In many ways, my kids learned in their borderline rottenness to more about integrity and behavior admire. Eddies never called home from the Eddie Haskells than they so their mothers wouldn't worry. did from all the fine upstanding They ate with their hats on. They role models who filed in and out of teased the dog until he had to be their lives. put in the basement. (The dog, not the Eddies.) They always smelled They learned that the Eddie like tobacco. Every time you Haskells get caught. Eddie Haswalked into a room unexpectedly, kells wear thin. They pay for their they hung up the phones. But the mistakes. They have few friends. big thing they had in common was They will eventually do unto you that they always interacted with as they do unto everyone else. I think it was one of the last mothers on a contemporary basis. EdEddie Haskells in a long series of the the years, Throughout dies have grabbed my attention them that appeared with my with such lines as, "Gee, Mrs. youngest one day and said, "Was Bombeck, didn't I see you last that you singing, Mrs. Bombeck? I month on the cover of Seven- swear I thought it was a recording of Olivia Newton-JohAre you teen?" "These baked beans are as- sure it was you?" After he left, my son said, tounding. My mom never knows "Mom! Don't you see what he was what cans to buy." "I'll bet it's a real pain for you doing? He was being smart and to whip out your I.D. every time putting you on. Laughing at you. He was just plain cruel. What do you want a drink." "Level with me. Your maiden you need with that kind of friena?" name was Fonda, wasn't it?" I said, "He's not my friend. He's It took me a while to figure out what my kids saw in them. Then I yours." Neither of us ever saw Eddie realized. They talked like an adult and acted like an adult, but had again. It's a shame. I never got a the judgment and responsibility of chance to thank him for contributa child. ing so much to my son's They walked in two worlds, but ; By ERMA BOMBECK Than Toward the Elderly IDS Church is Much More Geared Toward Programs for Its Youth... Editor's Note: This report in the three-pa- U the final rt series on aging. By NORMA RUSSELL Special to the Herald Stereotypical assumptions about the elderly, such as them of people toward aging. Peterson feels there is a negative stereotyping of aging in our country and that Americans think of old people as being useless and senile. "We want to see the genesis of that and if or when it happens in families," he says. "For some, death is easier, and other it is not," Peterson adds. He believes the LDS tend to be more satisfied with death and dying than their counterparts. Peterson also believes society is too youth oriented and the LDS church is much more geared toward programs for its non-LD- youth without making S much effort to help the elderly. 'For some of the elderly, death is easier; and for others it is not.' Dr. Evan T. Peterson being senile, poor, sexless, unhappy, etc., are deeply woven into the fabric of society. Perhaps part of the reason Americans believe this to be so, according to Dr. Evan T. Peterson, a professor of sociology at BYU, is that "the elderly tend to emotionally divorce themselves from society as a whole, because they know they are not a part of it anymore." Peterson is directing a 20-ye- ar longitudinal study on LatterSaint elderly which is being conducted by The Resource Center on Adult Development and Aging at BYU. The study will look at the attitudes -day "We have always looked to the youth as the leaders of tomorrow," he says. "We systematically exclude old people from whole church activities. Have you ever heard of a bishop. No, because - tive fashion." Peterson and his associates, Dr. Spencer Condie and Dr. also of the Philip Kunz and sociology department Gwendolyn Henry, a doctoral student in family studies currently working on her certificate in gerontology, will be looking at three groups within the family. "We will be watching the family to see how they rally and support each other, particularly in traumatic situations that occur, like death," says Peterson. 'Have you ever heard of a bishop? No, because we want them young. We're concerned with the leadnot the leaders of ers of tomorrow 70-year-- yesterday.' Dr. Evan T. Peterson we want them young. We're concerned with the leaders of tomorrow not the leaders of Responses on Retiring By KAREN BLAKER, Ph.D. Thank yon for Dear Readers the hundreds of responses to my request for your reactions to the woman who wanted to be left alone in her passive retirement. Most of you felt that there is no right or wrong way to retire as long as it is good for the individual. I think you are right on target! Here are excerpts from a few of your letters: I read Dear Dr. Blaker with interest the letter from the woman who resented being told to keep up a frantic pace during the retirement years. She was tired and just wanted to rest without feeling guilty. I agree with her. Everyone should leave us elderly alone and not push us so much. No one in this country can stand to see the aging process. It is too n. "We also want to know when children learn it, and when the elderly feel it and begin to evaluate themselves in a nega- Karen Blaker a- yesterday."" He feels however, there is a lot to be said for placing older people in positions of leadership, because they don't have families to deal with and can devote much more time to their assignments. But the argument society uses, is that the elderly just don't understand the issues of today because they lived too long ago and they're out of step with the world. This is the true feeling of society, according to Peterson. "We are a very dynamic society and conditions don't remain the static. But the real problem is that the elderly frightening. And so they would have us look and act "young." We are not young. I, for one, just want to act my age. I am 72 years old. I identiDear Dr. Blaker fied with that woman who wanted to rest after her retirement. But I only felt like that for two years. Then I began to get my spirit and energy back. I found that I had merely needed an interlude from the stresses of life. Once rested, I was back into things again and enjoying them more than ever. What I want to say to retired people is that at times, they may feel like taking it easy and at other times, they may need lots of stimulation and excitement. I totally Dear Dr. Blaker with who woman that agree was incensed about feeling that she "had" to be very active in ; order to "stay young." I don't want to be active and I don't want to stay young. I am old and I admit that I can't do what I used to do. What's more, I don't want to live my old lifestyle. Thank Dear Dr. Blaker heavens for those articles on active retirement. I was under the impression a person was expected to "retire" with retirement. I learned that I was all wet. Life goes on and gets dreary if one doesn't get out and live a little. People should begin to think about retirement long before it arrives. That's my advice. I waited too long and when it came, I wasn't prepared. It took me about three years to recover from the shock of not having anything structured to do every day. I had always worked a 9 to 5 job. just aren't able to make the type of contributions they are used to." mm Jiff :il Many Don't Go For Social Security As Retirement Plan WASHINGTON (UPI) -More than 50 million Americans are enrolled in retirement plans other than Social Secur- - iWir;B.--, The American Council of Life Insurance, a Washington, D.C.-base- d trade group, says that figure includes more than e half of all employees in commerce and industry and three-fourth- s of all government civilian personnel. 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