[originaltext]W: Hello, listeners! Welcome to our program. Our today’s guest is

W: Hello, listeners! Welcome to our program. Our today’s guest is Dr. Howard Miller. Dr. Miller is a professor of Sociology at Washington University and has written numerous articles and books on the issues facing older Americans in our graying society for the past 15 years.
M: Thank you for that introduction.
W: Well, Dr. Miller, as a matter of fact, there are many issues facing aged people. Can you say something about those?
M: Well, first, I want to share a story of my own life. Several years ago when my grandparents were well into their eighties, they were faced with the reality of no longer being able to adequately care for them.
W: Yeah, that is quite a common and natural problem with aged people.
M:  My grandfather spoke of his greatest fear, that of leaving the only home they had known for the past 60 years. The prospect of having to sell their home, giving up their independence and moving into a retirement home was an extremely depressing experience for them.
W: That’s definitely sure.
M:  He was quite sad, exclaiming that he felt he wasn’t important anymore.
W: Yeah, that’s a quite natural feeling.
M: For them and some older Americans, this period of their lives means the decline of not only one’s health but the loss of identity and serf-worth. In many societies, this serf-identity is closely related with our social status, occupation, material possessions, or independence.
W: So is there any way to help the elderly reestablish their serf-identity?
M: Well, I think it is important to find some meaningful roles the elderly can and should play in our societies. By doing something for the society, they will feel they are still useful and important.