The Ages of Man.

None of us has any way of knowing how many years are left for us, but, personally, I'm hoping for a few more. It was once proposed that everyone had only so many breaths, and so many heartbeats; but I think that theory has now been debunked.

Getting old is no fun. One spends most of one's life thinking 'That'll never happen to me'; then suddenly it does.

Those niggling pains no longer go away, one's legs will no longer allow one to run, and (perhaps most annoyingly) one can no longer eat drink and make merry as one once did. One's whole life changes, and slows to an annoyingly different pace, even when your brain tries to convince you otherwise.

Possibly my greatest enduring pleasure in life has been my time spent in France; firstly in a large farmhouse, then a huge village house, then in a much smaller 300 year old cottage. Nothing was more pleasurable than growing my own food, sawing and chopping my own wood for the fire, and walking or mushrooming with one or more of our dogs in the beautiful surrounding woods and countryside. 

I knew old age was approaching when I adopted an old and tattered Wing-Back Chair (above). No young person would be seen dead sitting in one; they are designed for the aged. Billy loves it too, but dogs have different reasons.

I suppose the most telling sign of approaching old age is when one starts to PLAN for it. The Aston gets traded for a Mini, the four story house is swapped for a bungalow, and one begins to appreciate level surfaces. That essential Winter heat now conveniently arrives at the touch of a button.  

Amongst all the negatives, I'm lucky to have one major positive; I was very fortunate to have been born HAPPY. I wake happy, I spend the day happy, and I go to bed happy. It's a natural trait that has treated me extremely well over the decades. When I look at those who wake angry, spend their days looking for conflict, or are ruled by jealousy and envy, I thank god my genetic make-up is as it is.

I may groan every time I get-up from a chair or sofa and my first few steps are always a bit unsteady, but I cope. I know the aches and pains are never going to go away, but at least I can try to laugh about it.