How old is ‘old’?

Back on Iona last Spring the young lady on the ticket desk of the Abbey gave me an age concession ……… and I hadn’t even asked!!  No wonder I’m now even more despondent about my advancing years!  (I’ve been in crisis about it for at least the last 18!)    The years seem to have crept up on me and mine whilst we have been pre-occupied focussing on other things!  I know that many people accept growing older with grace and dignity but, sorry, not me!  The only positive thing about it as far as I’m concerned is that our closest friends are either:-          already older, as old or nearly as old!!

Yesterday, however, I had a salutary lesson. 

As we were walking past Crick Wharf along the tow path we were enthusiastically greeting by a four year old long-haired, sandy-coloured little terrier called …… Sandy!  We got talking to Sandy’s owner (like you do) and, after establishing that we too are boaters, topics of conversation included the advantages of bow-thrusters when they are working properly and the disadvantages of chain saws when they are not!

THEN …………… we found out that this single-handed boatman is 84 years young!!  Looking at him, I thought he was in the same decade as John!  Now it might be, I hear some say, that John is wearing particularly badly ………………. but I don’t think that is really the case.  This elderly gentleman is fit and very proud of his full head of hair.  Sadly, his wife died a year ago and, rather than sit at home feeling lonely and sorry for himself, he decided to sell up, sell his old boat, get a new one built with everything on it that he always wanted and set off as a liveaboard.  TRULY AMAZING!  Only 84 years young – fit, positive, determined and courageous.  An inspiration to us all. 

I still hate the thought of the number of candles to be crammed onto my next birthday cake but ……………….. I will at least now attempt to blow them out with more humility than usual.

Other News

•  Megan is no longer with us.  She is spending the rest of this week with her friend, Lynn, in Reading and flies out to Alicante next Monday. 
• We are still having intermittent blue screens on the computer.  We have had a new drive fitted but …………… it’s still happening!  We now strongly suspect dodgy dongle extension leads.  (Try saying that when not sober!!)  Clearly, finding the solution to this frustrating technical fault will have to be a process of elimination.  If we find that it is a dodgy dongle extension lead John says he will definitely dangle the said dodgy dongle in the drink before dumping it to it’s detriment!!

Drink?  Who said drink?  What time is it?