Where did the old pals go?

He is so lucky who has a grandfather or a grandmother in his own house. That’s, at least, what I think. A healthy, focused and sarcastic old relative is a blessing. We call them ‘Jaddi’ or ‘Yuba’.. for respect. I can’t remember the time that I said to myself: ‘God! If only I could have a grandfather!’ because he was dead long before I was born. It was seen, how wonderful it is to have such intimacy. I used to see them much on many occasions. Now, I still keep wondering why most of them stopped showing up in many family occasions. Do they refuse? Or are they held back by their own children?
The elders are highly respected in Saudi culture, but I suppose some changes in our lifestyles may have led to missing the old folks on various occasions as well as in public. The only fact that I’m quite positive of in this perspective is that they love going out and that they feel gratitude toward those who care for them.
Some study has to come up with some statistics and answers.
Who made the old pals of the Saudi society much less than they used to be? And if they are there, what’s holding them back from being present? Many questions are waiting for answers here.

(The writer is chairman, Saudi Cartoon & Animation Society)