--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always had an affinity for older…" description: "\"I always had an affinity for older people. I had a job delivering newspapers, and one place I had to go was an old people's home. Some people would int..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/318/john-prine-3521_home_i-always-had-an-affinity-for-older-peopl_82042.jpg" --- # I always had an affinity for older people. I had a job… ![“I always had an affinity for older people. I had a job delivering newspapers, and one place I had to go was an old people's home. Some people would introduce you to their neighbors as if you were a nephew or grandson. They didn't get many visitors, so they acted like you were coming to see them…” quote by John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/318/john-prine-3521_home_i-always-had-an-affinity-for-older-peopl_82042.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/318/john-prine-3521_home_i-always-had-an-affinity-for-older-peopl_82042.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/318/john-prine-3521_home_i-always-had-an-affinity-for-older-peopl_82042.jpg) > “I always had an affinity for older people. I had a job delivering newspapers, and one place I had to go was an old people's home. Some people would introduce you to their neighbors as if you were a nephew or grandson. They didn't get many visitors, so they acted like you were coming to see them. And that stuck with me for a long time.” [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator reflects on how early experiences with seniors fostered empathy and a lasting sense of responsibility toward the elderly. **In simple terms:** Early exposure to seniors shaped lasting empathy. Key Takeaway Personal interactions can forge lifelong values. Themes empathy intergenerational connection social responsibility loneliness human dignity Mood nostalgic reflective warm Type personal anecdote social observation When to use this quote - visiting nursing homes - volunteering with seniors - working in caregiving roles - interacting with isolated elders Key Concepts aging community caregiving social bonds Practical Applications - designing senior-friendly services - training staff in compassionate communication Questions to Reflect On - How might early positive encounters influence our attitudes toward aging? - What can institutions do to reduce loneliness among seniors? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Old people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-people/) [Older people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older-people/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“That's it. Now you're going to come loud and hard and introduce me to the neighbors”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merideth-wild/that-s-it-now-you-re-going-to-come-loud-and-hard-and-introduce-me-to/) Merideth Wild > [Our treatment of both older people and children reflects the value we place on independence and autonomy. We do our best to make our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/our-treatment-of-both-older-people-and-children-reflects-the-value-we/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Any woman will tell you after the menopause, nobody whistle at her, well - that's just the beginning. As you get older people don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prue-leith/any-woman-will-tell-you-after-the-menopause-nobody-whistle-at-her/) [Prue Leith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prue-leith/) > [“Older people sometimes talk about the good old days when life was better. In fact, they talk nostalgically about their own youth that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eraldo-banovac/older-people-sometimes-talk-about-the-good-old-days-when-life-was/) [Eraldo Banovac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eraldo-banovac/) > [“In childhood, you long to grow up fast because older people are more powerful, young men more powerful. A child just longs to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/in-childhood-you-long-to-grow-up-fast-because-older-people-are-more/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [I have always preferred the company of older people. No one in the history of the world has had less interest in the young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-have-always-preferred-the-company-of-older-people-no-one-in-the/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [I got a gerontology certificate a million years ago along with my law degree, so I've been interested in older people for many years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/i-got-a-gerontology-certificate-a-million-years-ago-along-with-my-law/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [When you're young, you wonder what all these old people are droning on about, trying to impart their wisdom. It's not relevant to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-mirren/when-you-re-young-you-wonder-what-all-these-old-people-are-droning-on/) [Helen Mirren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-mirren/) > [“Just because you're old doesn't mean you've matured.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/just-because-you-re-old-doesn-t-mean-you-ve-matured/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [When I was young, I despised old people. I was provincial and narrow-minded. It's the reason I stayed stupid so long. If you only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/when-i-was-young-i-despised-old-people-i-was-provincial-and-narrow/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [Think about old people; think about young people, those with immune system problems. They can't really protect themselves well against the flu, so by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-varshavski/think-about-old-people-think-about-young-people-those-with-immune/) [Mikhail Varshavski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-varshavski/) > [There's a convention in English stuff that if something is more than 100 years old, people have to say 'do not' instead of 'don't.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/there-s-a-convention-in-english-stuff-that-if-something-is-more-than/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [I always hung out with older people. I would be the youngest out of the crew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunna/i-always-hung-out-with-older-people-i-would-be-the-youngest-out-of/) [Gunna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunna/) > [We don't do enough to help older people recognize how much they matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/we-don-t-do-enough-to-help-older-people-recognize-how-much-they-matter/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [If younger people see older people who haven't planned ahead and have to rely on charity, the young will be more likely to provide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/if-younger-people-see-older-people-who-haven-t-planned-ahead-and-have/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) ## More by John Prine > [There's only two things. There's life, and there's death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/there-s-only-two-things-there-s-life-and-there-s-death/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [One time, I went to school, and they asked us all to find out where our roots were. It's goin' around the class, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/one-time-i-went-to-school-and-they-asked-us-all-to-find-out-where-our/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [When I turned 40, I invited Johnny Cash to my party, even though I knew there was gonna be 200 people roasting a pig…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/when-i-turned-40-i-invited-johnny-cash-to-my-party-even-though-i-knew/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [It doesn't hit you until you pull up to the hospital, and you see 'cancer' in big letters, and you're the patient. 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He took two years out of his life and dedicated his undivided attention to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/howie-epstein-was-a-kind-patient-and-extremely-talented-musician-he/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [The more producers I talked to, the more I got looked at like I was crazy for wanting to make a live-sounding album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/the-more-producers-i-talked-to-the-more-i-got-looked-at-like-i-was/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [I was kind of shy as a lad, and a lot of things that made me laugh, I found, did not make other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/i-was-kind-of-shy-as-a-lad-and-a-lot-of-things-that-made-me-laugh-i/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [To tell you the truth, the nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame totally surprised me. 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I'll come up with an excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/if-somebody-tells-me-to-work-or-exercise-i-go-the-other-way-i-ll-come/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [Ignorance is bliss as a writer, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/ignorance-is-bliss-as-a-writer-i-think/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [You get to thinking that because you've written 50 or 100 songs, you think maybe you know how to do it. But when they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/you-get-to-thinking-that-because-you-ve-written-50-or-100-songs-you/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) [Explore all 128 John Prine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) ## More Home quotes > [Sentiment is the mightiest force in civilization; not sentimentality, but sentiment. Women will bring this into politics. 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However old you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/if-your-life-s-at-a-juncture-and-you-need-to-think-about-things-there/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [Most days, I go home and I feel rejuvenated. I feel ebullient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/most-days-i-go-home-and-i-feel-rejuvenated-i-feel-ebullient/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Houses are like the human beings that inhabit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/houses-are-like-the-human-beings-that-inhabit-them/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [A home is not a museum. It doesn't have to be furnished with Picasso paintings, or Sheraton suites, or Oriental rugs, or Chinese pottery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-home-is-not-a-museum-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-furnished-with-picasso/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. 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