The Aging Process:

Despite assurances as to the compensating effect of age related sagacity, none of us, I am sure finds much in the way of positive benefits in The Aging Process.

I am currently pondering at what age one actually becomes old, I remember sitting on the train on the way back from Bestival last year ( or should that read Worstival) and overhearing a group of twenty somethings behind me remarking as to how they saw some ‘really old people’ at the festival, like you know, ‘in their forties…’. God, I’m amazed how young people in their forties look to me now and so I guess, by anybodies standards, I’m getting on a bit at fifty five. However, I’m not yet in my sixties ( which are – according to me at any rate – the ‘new forties’) and so I have a few more years in which to, erm, well, I’m not really sure but what I do know is that time is inexorably running out and therefore, whatever it is, I’d better get on and bloody well do it.

So, I need to make a list ( in itself a sign of ‘getting on a bit’) , all the stuff that I need to do. Now, let me see….Well I have little desire to go skydiving, bungee jumping, white water rafting, extreme snowboarding etc etc, I mean, I wouldn’t necessarily mind having a go but I’m not going to loose any sleep over shuffling off this mortal coil having missed out on the undoubted thrill of kitesurfing or frisbeediving or whatever the newest bestest thing happens to be. So I need to concentrate on what the things are that I like doing best of all, the things I find most satisfying, fulfilling, soul enriching and enjoyable and work hard to make sure that I do them A Lot! So lets see…. Well, bird watching, walking in the country with friends, listening to music, having a pint in country pubs with friends, reading, traveling, writing, sex, getting intoxicated with a whole range of interesting chemicals, laughing, eating good food. Well there’s a start.

I suppose what I should do is make a spreadsheet, list all these things, and give them a weighting and then try to apportion my leisure time, no, make that all my waking time such that I make sure that not only do I do all of these things but that I do the things that are top of the list most. Actually, looking at the list theres quite a few things on it that could be done at the same time or are at lesat mutually compatable, walking in the country and going to a pub with friends seems an entirely reasonable uxaposition for example, however I'm sure that with a bit of imagination all sorts of interesting combinations and permutations could be developed, in fact it may be possible to do them all at once, but if I did, at my age, I'd need a good long sit down afterwards!