Keeping young

I’m coming to the conclusion that looking forward is what keeps you young.

Some of our friends are older than us, many in their 70s, some nearer their 80s or even 90s. Those who seem vital in life, regardless of years, are also those who have an interest in today & the future, who don’t live on a diet of daytime TV.

Admittedly what they are interested in varies. Some are crossword enthusiasts. Some pursue sport with a passion, watching on TV if not able any longer to physically pursue their passion. Some are into computing & photography. All are keen to learn new things about their passion.

So it is I hear with relish that the Fox is keen to find out about some Italian history after our visit to Lake Garda.

I find if I’m on my own, I tend to gravitate to the history programmes on the TV. I also tend to read a lot of historical novels as an easy way to discover some history. I love my jigsaws, particularly those of paintings. In the process of making up the jigsaw I become aware of the way the artist composes his picture & uses his brush/palette knife.

Our holidays always involve visiting museums, galleries, old houses etc. We hope to come away with a feel of the country, culture & few words of the language of the country. We always want to discover something new.

Some of our friends, even those younger than us, seem to only look back. It’s as though their best of life is gone. Now they just exist. These are the people who seem old, regardless of years.

It’s important to exercise those little grey cells a bit. I know life can be difficult. Health, & events – one set of friends lost their teenage son in a motor accident – do intervene but it is essential to keep an interest in things of today & tomorrow, to want to find out new things, even if health & energy mean it is only actively pursued in small doses, from time to time. That interest is what keeps you going, keeps you alive & interesting to others, keeps you young.