March 2010 - "Getting older shouldn't mean you have to slow down"
Why do we still
believe that increasing years mean decreasing fun? At 68, presenter
Jan Leeming believes - and is a prime example - that age is just a
number and that living life to the full is a timeless joy
Getting older is often just a case of 'mind over matter'. I
meet so many people who are slipping into the perceived stereotype
of old age - believing they need to start slowing down and taking
things easy, simply because they feel it's expected
of
them.
I seem to have gone completely the other way, and my attitude is,
"If I've got the energy to do it, then I'll jolly well
have a go." I'm now in the autumn of my years, and I'm
determined to pack as much as possible into them - although if
anyone had tried to predict the activities in which I would indulge
in my 60s, I'd have laughed out loud. As I approached my mildly
dreaded 60th birthday, I became more acutely aware of those damned
little 'tick in the box' questionnaires that always seem to
stop at age 60-65. So what happens after that, I wondered. Do you
just drop off the end of the world?
At the very least, in
today's ageist society, it seems we're expected to quietly
disappear into the background and accept our lot.
I had no intention of doing so, but neither did I dream that, in
many ways, my life would become even more exciting in my 60s.
Having always been concerned about 'public opinion', and
what people thought of me, it was a blessed relief to realise that
it no longer mattered. I made the decision that as long as I
didn't hurt anyone, I was finally going to do what I pleased.
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