They’re the people who fought for our country and made it what it is today. They raised our parents that we love and appreciate (even if we don’t always admit it). If all of this is true, then why do we neglect our senior citizens?

With my school’s Key Club, a few friends and I volunteer at the Long Island Veteran’s Home. We wheel the elderly to their weekly entertainment; we listen to their stories; we give them something to smile about. If every teenager took some time out of their weekend to visit a grandparent or volunteer at a senior citizen’s home, the number of lives we could all touch would be incredible. Why do we pay so much attention to celebrities on television or musicians on our iPods when these senior citizens are the ones who really need our support and admiration?

It’s hard for teenagers to imagine growing old and spending their days in a senior citizen’s home. How would you feel if you had to spend your last years being ignored or neglected? It’s time for teenagers to prove that they are not rude and disrespectful towards the elderly, as the stereotype would suggest. So stop worrying about whether it’s cool to spend time with “old people,” and start breaking the mold.