Father Time - On growing old (or older).

Some people have a fear about growing old. They try to ignore it or fight it with every means at their disposal. We can see this in the plethora of programmes on TV showing how people go about getting a personal ‘make-over’ and teams given seven days to get someone to look ten years younger, and such like. The only ones who really benefit from all this are the medicos, advertisers and the TV stations.

The trouble is this is a losing battle and a ‘fight’ that can never be won! We all grow old. This is just an inescapable fact of nature. Some, particularly women it seems to me, may find this difficult to accept but inevitably they will grow old – and, with time, they will show it. Why not just accept the inexorable passage of Time? It was not called Father Time for nothing. Time has to be respected, in fact respect is demanded on pain of death!

We all have a mental image of what we look like; possibly how we would like to appear, to both ourselves and others. We all try to look our best - for us. But it is how we feel that makes the difference, and is what really counts in the long run.

I have found that the older I become, my expectations alter accordingly. I know there are certain activities I am no longer capable of doing, at least not to the same level of enthusiasm and ability as before. I know that I no longer have that grace and fluidity of movement that is part of being young. My muscles, certainly, are not as strong as they used to be; my tendons have lost much of their elasticity and my joints have stiffened somewhat and now I have my recently replaced knee joint – made from titanium. But I certainly do not feel ‘old’ – whatever that is supposed to feel like. My mind is still quite active and I hope to keep it that way by studying (psychology in my case) and writing as much as I can.

Age also has the benefit of allowing hindsight – I have nearly eight decades of experience to draw upon. Age also mellows expectations; life no longer has that intensity and urgency of youth. In the great scheme of things, if something does not happen today, or tomorrow, does it really matter?

There is another benefit that comes with age; age, in most cases, brings with it some wisdom; some ability to see further into life’s situations and to accept them for what they are. One learns to understand that everything has its place in the creation and what is more important, everything comes to pass; even life itself.

Peace of mind comes with this acceptance.

To me a good life consists of living for each day, being content with my lot (whatever ‘hand of cards fate has dealt’ me), not trying to change the world to suite my reduced capabilities but to adapt to the situation or circumstance as it is presented.

Most important of all time must be spent in developing and maintaining good relationships with family and friends – what and where would we be without them! It goes without saying that part of building and maintaining relationships is helping others, as best one can, to understand what life means, particularly children, because they are the future.

It would be a pleasing and satisfying thought, for me, if my life’s work may have contributed, in some small way, to my leaving this world a better place than I found it when I was born – right in the early years of the Second World War! But I am not building up my hopes too high!!

Studying

The past few weeks have been quite difficult. I am studying for my end of year exams and I have had a particularly onerous assignment to write. Never having written ‘academically’ before I find the constant need to make sure that everything I write has a citation and that I make sure it is properly referenced, rather irksome.

Please don’t think that I am not against plagiarism. I think plagiarising someone else’s work is abhorrent. The trouble is that I have read so many books on so many subjects over the years that when I write it just comes tumbling out. Most times I can remember where I first read something important; I can remember the book and sometimes even the part of the page that it appeared on (left hand page or right hand page) – it is WHERE in the book that I find difficult to remember. Also, over the years I seem to have assimilated by osmosis, or something, a great deal of information. After many years have passed, having to source the original can be very trying, to say the least.

In this regard I admit that I find Google Scholar very useful. It is amazing what information is on the web and how easily and quickly Google Scholar can find it. I am not talking about general stuff but scholarly, research type information.

But to get back to my point about finding that everything needs to be cited. This is a good discipline, I suppose, but very irksome and, quite frankly frustrating. It is certainly a challenge and inhibits the free flow of my thoughts. From an academic point of view it is important that I get used to it and learn to keep notes (with references!) for every topic or subject I feel is important or that may be useful.

It is still a pain!!