Don’t worry anymore about where to go next time when difficulties come. A team of advice gurus could hold the next solution for your dilemmas.

In Salt Lake City, Utah there’s a collection of senior citizen pranksters waiting to share life’s mysteries — and it’s free. They call themselves “The Old Coots” and they set up every Saturday at a local farmer’s market yearly. They sit behind a simple card table, drink coffee and brim with smiles and of course, they have lots of advice.

It all began when the group of retirees would meet at a coffee shop to connect, joke and swap stories. They figured, why not bestow their wisdom onto others for free?

What started as a joke became legitimate and lo and behold, a line of people started lining up to receive their advice. 

The momentum soon started to grow – to their amazement.

“We were sitting outside, bored stiff from talking to each other, and I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to get us a booth across the street at the farmers market, where we can give advice,” Tony Caputo told The Washington Post.

Their booth is the most popular during the summer and early fall season. An estimated 40 people show up every weekend since its inception. A banner flows over their stand stating: “Old Coots Giving Advice: It’s probably bad advice, but it’s free.”

Who lines up for their advice? All kinds of advice-seekers. They have new moms asking for guidance on how to raise their children right. Young people seeking dating advice. Some questions asked are not as serious like “Why does my cat pee on everything in the house?” 

The Old Coots and those Coots in training display a disclaimer that their advice is not necessarily great, so be prepared.

In Deuteronomy, we’re instructed to remember the days of old. Consider the generations long past. “Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.” It’s a reminder of what we can glean from those who went before us. Timothy wrote: “Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers.”

They may not be Dr. Phil, but the Old Coots and our senior citizens are a great source for wisdom for younger generations. All we must do is listen.

If you’re in the Salt Lake City area, make sure to stop by their booth for good advice, or perhaps join them for a laugh. Whatever the case, the Old Coots are open for business.

About the Author

Corine Gatti-Santillo has spent two decades as an editor, investigative reporter and web content strategist; her work has appeared in The Christian Post, LifeZette and CBN, among other outlets. She is host of the program “Mom on the Right” on The Liberty Beacon TV. She and her husband, Rocky, live in Virginia with their infant daughter and yellow lab Maggie.

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