There are so many benefits in being old! I was quite frightened on entering my sixties about how I would face retirement and the loss of identity I felt that might entail. How wrong I was. I really do think that on a day by day basis, my life is better and happier now than at any time before. Don’t get me wrong – I had great highs before both in family and career terms. But on a daily basis, the freedom that I now have to do and say pretty much anything I want is amazing.
I am lucky – I think it is all about the balance of good health, available time and sufficient money – and at the moment I have all three. Not all my friends are so fortunate. All three rarely come together earlier in life, unless you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth.
I love having the freedom to say what I want now, as I have been doing in our blog in the last few weeks. If what I write is totally mad, people just laugh and say I am a batty old woman: I wouldn’t have got away with it before. I always felt I had to “watch my back” before as far as work and colleagues were concerned – but now there is no reason not to say whatever I like. The same goes for my “elders and betters”. That generation no longer exists: I could not have been as forthright and disrespectful as I have been of them in the blogs, had they still been alive!
What I want to say to Jae’s many lovely friends and the great bunch of younger people, who are racing around doing a balancing act taking care of their families, working hard, counting their pennies and are mad enough to find time to be reading this is: enjoy every good moment that comes your way – you really deserve it. Never feel guilty about anything: guilt is the biggest sapper of energy there is. Know that you are absolutely doing your best, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Look forward with anticipation and smile. I have learned that these are the most important things in life.
Where did all that come from? Quite the philosopher today. This 3GKiliClimb thing seems to be turning my brain: woo hoo – I am loving it!
Just adding this poem I’ve always loved for fun! Jae x
