It’s always a good one to look at and reexamine from time to time..

I’m 81 now and I’m very comforted to see those older than me rocking and rolling.

Mary Berry the cook and demonstrator is now in her 90s.
Clint Eastwood is still being strong at 97 and
Daivd Attenborough is 99 as is
Mel Brooks, also 99.

It is amusing to see interviews with people who have reached the age of one hundred.

Some attribute their long life to smoking, some to not smoking. Others to drinking a whiskey, others to not drinking, some to keep physically and mentally healthy, some just enjoy themselves and are happy.

Although people give explanations for a long life, I would guess that no one really knows why.

It’s probably all in the genes. Francoises’ mother died at 104 years of age.

However, this is a personal diary so I will give my impressions:

I used to despise and laugh at older people thinking that if they can survive to 70, the famous three score years and ten, they are ‘past it’ and only capable of doing simple tasks of survival. We even had the phrase, now dated, of ‘knocking on 40’

What I lacked at the time was a role model. With my dad I never thought of him as old, he was just ‘my dad’ and the same with my mother. Dad was not a social creature.  We never went out except on holiday. We did not entertain except at birthdays or weddings.

 Sad when I look back.

I did not understand at the time that senior people are a source of knowledge and wisdom and not trying to spoil my fun or limit my freedom.

The fact that they did not say much is probably down to me that I never troubled to ask. I remember Percy, the caretaker at our church in Streatham London, who taught me the ways of gardening and in a way he was a father figure. He took a shine to me and took me under his wing.

I can see now that through my life I was ageist more than I realized because I judged by appearance. When I saw someone walking with a stick I felt they were stupid, never mind those who were blind. It’s a terrible thing to say but my prejudice exceeded my curiosity many fold.

Why was this, I ask myself.

I think it was partly social clumsiness and fear. I was not sure how to approach older people. Mind you this was in the 60s and 70s when social mores will more strictly applied about – for example – showing respect for your elders. ‘Children should be seen and not heard’. That did a lot of damage. 

What do people say about age?

‘Age is just a number’.

‘You are as old as you feel’.

I like Walt Disney’s quote ‘Growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional.‘

Another one by Jules Renard it’s not how old you are . It’s how you are old.

I like this one by Franz Kafka ‘anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old’

I have retained a lot of the habits I had when I was younger including an impish sense of humour,  a desire to tease people with practical jokes and the use of words in puns, plus making spectacular entrances to any social setting.

I know I will go to meet the good Lord when it is my time and in a way I’m looking forward to it (beam me up, Scottie) but I do feel I have more work to do on this side of life.

My interest in new things, new ideas, making new friends is undiminished. I retain my love for all sorts of machinery, the bigger the better, which explains one of my time wasting habits watching too many YouTubes for my own good.

Also a major part of keeping me going is faith in the inherent goodness of human beings when in this slash and burn era of the development of the world it is quite difficult to retain in the forefront of one’s consciousness but my faith (and Faith) is with me morning, noon and night and it certainly keeps me buoyant.

Could I thrive living alone?

It helps me enormously to have the support of my partner Francoise. I think day-to-day conversation about the little things of life is important plus discussing the more important values of life.

I honestly don’t know how I would survive on my own if there was just me and the house. I am sure I would compensate to a certain degree and manage, as many millions of people do, but it would not be a preferred choice.

Finally, to cheer us all up here are a couple of quotes by George Carlin, God bless him.

I wonder if he continues to ridicule the system wherever he is now.