Hello, everyone. You’ve heard the saying: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” We know that’s not true. Dogs of all ages, from babies to seniors are capable of learning new things every day. They never stop learning. It did give me pause to wonder if it’s the same way with people. Can you teach old people new tricks?
With today’s technology, things aren’t like they used to be. People today have cell phones in their pockets, e-mails have replaced good, old-fashioned letters with stamps on them, and communicating is done through the internet. I have noticed a trend in the older generation. My grandmother, who lives in New York, is 80 years old. Who would have ever thought she would have learned to use a computer. She keeps in touch with all of her family and she loves it. That means you probably can teach older people new tricks, but can you teach the younger people old tricks? Do you know any young people that have written a letter and mailed it in the past year? They would crumble at the thought of losing their cell phone or internet connection. What would happen if the younger generation had to learn the old tricks?
Every Sunday, Mom and Dad read the paper together. It’s something they have been doing forever. I’m surprised that there are people today that get their news off the internet. I guess if you aren’t used to reading a paper, it’s easy to just read up on what’s happening while you’re surfing the net.
I would like to point out to these people that you’re missing a lot by not picking up a newspaper. For one thing, a newspaper is one of the oldest traditions of our country. It’s lasted through centuries and will be here for a few more. There is nothing better than picking up your hometown paper and reading about the high school’s latest sports event or reading about what the folks over at parks and recreation are doing in your community. The internet may give you some news, but let’s not disregard our newspapers. Newspapers bring your community to life. Photos of your neighbors helping other neighbors, stories that touch your heart, and let’s not forget the columnists. The Observer happens to have some of the best columnists in Florida, and I’m not just saying that because I am one.
Folks, I think it’s important for dogs and people to learn new things every day. Never stop learning. People spend a great deal of time with their pets, teaching them new tricks and running in the park with them. It helps stimulate their brain activity. I would like to suggest to my readers that you stimulate your brain activity and pick up a newspaper. Some of you may be reading me from the internet, and I think that’s great.
We’ve come a long way! Let’s get our young people to remember what this country was founded on and teach them to embrace the old while also encouraging them to tackle the new. If my grandma can do email, anyone can. Young people today are smarter than they have ever been, more energetic, and better educated than before. Let’s not leave behind the old ways in an attempt to move forward.
Go out and buy a newspaper and sit down and share it with someone. You’ll learn things about your community you would never learn on the internet. Lets teach some old tricks to the young ones and some new tricks to the old ones. In the meantime, us dogs will continue to lead the way.

Mango, a rescued pet, is the inspiration for this column by Debi Laibe. Send any questions or comments to
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