01-04-2018, 09:54 AM
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On being 87 years old
It really is my birthday today although it is All Fools’ Day. (There is a one 365 chance that anyone is born on that day.) It is in fact my eighty seventh birthday. Although this is not a round number it does feel to me to be a significant milestone in my advancing old age. Ninety doesn’t seem that far off. I have now lived longer than both my parents and my older brother, my only sibling.I have conflicting views about this. On the one hand I know full well that people are living longer than they used to. According to this I shouldn’t be making a fuss about it. However, in spite of this it still seems to me to be really quite ancient. When I look into my shaving mirror there is a really old man looking back at me.
I also have conflicting opinions about the effect that my advancing old age has on my lifestyle. On the one hand I am still able to do quite a lot of things that used to be regarded at my age as out of the question. I can still get about. I usually take an hour’s fairly vigorous amount of exercise and drive a car – though only for short distances. I do like a nap after lunch.
On the other hand there is an increasing list of things that I can no longer do. It was already ten years ago that I had to give up driving at night. It no longer felt safe. Then I found that sixty miles was too much of a task. As to my medical problems they are increasing and I would rather not describe them at all!
So there it is. I fluctuate from time feeling euphoria some of the time and sad for some of the other time.
And I can still contribute to the Pages of Punch thread.
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