March 27, 2013 Article

The Old Coot likes whales, sort of.

By Merlin Lessler

 Save the whales! It’s a bumper sticker that’s been around for years. I never really understood the mass appeal of the pro-whale PR campaign. I like whales. I guess. At least I never met one I didn’t like. Except the one that swallowed Geppeto when he was searching for Pinocchio. That had me bummed out until my mother turned the page and finished the bedtime story. But still, I didn’t understand the passion that drove “whale lovers” to buy whale paraphernalia and to paste stickers on their car bumpers.

Then, the light came on in my head, the day a pygmy whale beached itself in Ormond by the Sea while I was on a mandatory old coot trek to Florida. The beach was mobbed with onlookers as a group of marine biologists tried to revive and coax the poor thing back into the water. Traffic was backed up for miles in all directions as people rushed to watch, and to help lift, shove and push the whale back to the safety of the sea. But, the whale was having none of it! “I came here to die; leave me alone!” Finally, the lead biologist euthanized the poor guy. Everyone left in a funk. Including me.

It made me wonder some more about this widespread fascination with whales. Especially considering the vast quantities of tuna, shrimp, clams, lobster and other marine life we consume. That’s when the light in my head grew bright. We feel empathy for whales because we are growing larger and becoming more whalelike. Our urge to protect and save whales is an urge to save one of our own. 100 years ago we were drawn to monkeys, those skinny, energetic relatives of ours. They had a huge following in zoos, carnivals, circuses and on the shoulders of organ grinders wandering the streets in downtown areas. Now, skinny active monkeys are out; fat lumbering whales are in.

 It gives me hope. Old coot hope. For decades ours has been a youth focused society. Unlike other cultures around the world that hold their elders in esteem, we scorn our seniors, especially old coots such as myself. It’s young actors and athletes that are esteemed in America. But, hope is in the air. Our society is aging, and like the whale lovers who are drawn to something akin to themselves, the aging sector will soon dominate public policy and begin to embrace the old coot branch of the human species. Save the Whales signs will be replaced with Save the Old Coots! I can’t wait!