With the celebration of the annual Youth Week coming hot on the heels of the Seniors Festival in 2016 it was inevitable that a local pollie would offer some views on them both.
Chris Hayes, who used to be in Werriwa and is lately of neighbouring Fowler, made sure that his were thoughtful contributions to being one or the other.
Mr Hayes suggested that a certain George Bernard Shaw was quite wrong when he uttered the famous “youth is wasted on the young” words around 100 years ago.
“I am constantly amazed at the ideas and foresight that our young people have – their enthusiasm is infectious and we should embrace many of their thoughts,” he suggested.
“Their age should never be dismissed and we can all learn a lot from listening to our young people,” Mr Hayes said.
Turning to ageing and what used to be called Seniors’ Week, Mr Hayes, himself approaching that status, said: “These days ageing doesn’t mean you’re too old to become involved in any type of physical activity’’.
And furthermore, “growing older is a privilege and our aged should be celebrated.
“We are all living a much healthier, active life and our local community has plenty to offer,” Mr Hayes said.
“Older Australians have a wealth of knowledge and wisdom and I would encourage everyone to consider taking up just one extra activity a week or even consider volunteering, which is a great way to give back to our community.”
