However, there is a section of the grey brigade that seems to think that their age gives them a licence to be rude and unthinking.
A letter to the editor on Saturday from Wesley Parish is a classic example. Poor Wesley describes almost being run over by a "senile delinquent" at Brookfield New World as the driver powered through the car park entrance at speed.
He was then abused by the driver for having the cheek to get in his way while on a crossing.
The tirade continued on the footpath and when Wesley began to give back some of the abuse the old bloke threatened to beat him up.
That had me laughing, of course, as in different circumstances I can just see a silly, rude old codger being taken to hospital having broken his hand on my rather hard head.
Anyway, I too have suffered the rudeness of old age with people who think they can say what they want with impunity just because they are reaching their use-by date.
In this world anyone can say and do what they want - not just the elderly - but there are consequences for all your actions. So, in my view, it's better to be polite to people until they show you that they are just pig ignorant and then verbally teach them some manners, no matter their age.
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From the winterless north comes the tale of yet another mother who should not be allowed to keep her child.
A woman heading to the shops in Whangarei had just got out of her car when she heard the cry of a distressed youngster in the vehicle next door.
She looked inside and saw a young lad who was crying and desperate for his mother because he was really hot.
The lady sent her hubby inside to try to find said parent and in the meantime tried to calm the kid, standing in between him and the sun.
The pair had no luck finding the mother and she had not returned to her son in the 10 minutes the people were there.
Now in my view you should not be leaving kids in a car, even on what seems like a mild day. They can overheat very quickly and can die.
I'm not sure how police handle the situation here, but in Australia they are entitled to smash a car's window to free either children or a pet.
That mother is just another example of why there should be a licence to be a parent.
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It is with some sadness I mark the passing of one of Tauranga's great little endeavours - the Lightwave Gallery at the Mount.
It was a superb gallery filled with really cool pictures, carvings and artworks.
The gallery brought an extra vibrancy to the city's art scene with its many and varied exhibitions and its loss is a major blow.
Tauranga is not God's Waiting Room, I reckon it is a city where dreams come to die because ventures like Lightwave Gallery don't get the support they deserve.
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Some wag once said that North Koreans look like they've been through a famine - and Kim Jong-Un looks like he caused it.
Oh, I think it was me ...
Anyway, the superlative leader of that sadly misguided nation seems to be in need of a new name as he has gone from being merely porky to a massive 130kg since taking power.
In fact he has become so large that he fractured both ankles under his bulk and is in hospital after an operation to repair them.
The truly beloved leader is believed to have sprained then fractured his ankles while touring military bases and factories in shoes with Cuban heels. For non-fashionistas the heels gave him a little more height for an appearance of more authority.
In addition Kim's extravagant lifestyle is said to have brought on gout, which painfully affects joints.
Kim's obesity is at odds with the millions of folk in North Korea who are malnourished and face regular famines.
I reckon Kim Jong-un needs a new name more in keeping with his growing presence. He should really be known as Kim Jong-un-two-three-and-four.
richard@richardmoore.com
• Richard Moore is an award-winning Western Bay journalist and photographer.
