Myths

There are all kinds of myths in existence. There's a whole television series about whether or not these myths are really true. A lot of them are totally untrue. These guys go to a lot of trouble to disprove some of these myths, some started by movies and silly rumors. There are a lot of untrue myths that have given bats a bad reputation. They will not get tangled in your hair, they are not flying rodents, they are not evil creatures of the night, and the main percentage of them are not vampires. Bats are beneficial creatures that seriously control insect populations making food for us more affordable. Some bats pollinate plants that make a lot of products available to us, such as coffee, chocolate, agave (for Tequilas) and bananas. Rain forests rely on bats to replant them. Many people are afraid of bats because of their appearance and because they fly around at night. They don't realize that flying foxes can look like puppies and come out during the day. Bats are highly intelligent, some say they are as intelligent as dolphins. Yet some people insist on hanging onto old myths that are just plain lies.

This morning, in The Dallas Morning News, I read about another myth, which is causing all kinds of problems. It involves people in their 50's trying to find a job. Many potential employers seem to think that people in their 50's or older are undesirable to hire. It is thought that people in their 50's and beyond are ready to go out to pasture and cannot deal with the current technological challenges that today's work place requires. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just this morning, my husband, who is in his 50's, was fixing the fans on my son's computer. He built that computer from scratch. He knows his way around computers and computer software better than people young enough to be his kids.

 People in their 50's have watched computers develop through the years, from giant monoliths that filled an entire room and only had about 3k memory to today's smart phones loaded with apps that do just about anything except fix the dinner. In twenty years when today's babies are adults, they will see today's state of the art electronics in older movies and laugh. It's a matter of keeping up with current technology, which is continuously changing. Everybody needs to keep up with technology, no matter how old or how young they may be.

Basically, what I'm saying is for those in the power to hire, is to have an open mind and not to rely on unrealistic myths. Give someone in their 50's a chance, they have life experience, many have raised children and have had responsibilities way beyond meeting a deadline. They are special people and deserve consideration. Don't let a myth stand in the way of hiring someone outstanding, very special and unique.