Surviving in old age

Press, 22 July 1989, Page 23

Surviving in old age

Senior Citizens’ Survival Guide. By Bob Feigel and Malcolm Walker. SeTo Publishing, 1989. 72 pp. i Illustrations. $9.95 (paperback). Feigel and Walker started out with a very good idea, and somewhere along the way it went awry. Feigel’s American origins may have led him to a style of humour that is rather too violent for New Zealand tastes; perhaps neither he nor his illustrator thought through far enough the implications of their ideas. The result is a book that raises a few smiles, offers a handful of good ideas, and could even help to build self-esteem among some elderly people. But the final impression is of a book that could have been much better. Still, the book has its moments of truth. For instance, “Being a Senior

Citizen these days is worse than being on the Endangered Species list. Not only do you stand a good chance of being mugged, burgled or pursesnatched, you’re fair game for every human parasite from con men to tax men. Sad to say, today’s society dismisses Senior Citizens as an obsolete minority group not worth protecting. Worse, they see you as a hopeless group of decaying old hasbeens on automatic self-destruct.” And the book has its helpful moments. Among the euthanasia cartoons, for instance: “Arrange for a tour of your favourite malt whisky distillery, and at the appropriate moment, fall into the vat of your choice.” Or, “Tell a gang member how silly he looks.” But just hope that no-one takes too seriously the book’s advice on “Shoplifting for beginners” or “Creative cooking with pet foods.”