Surely not!

It had to happen; I've just had a birthday, and it was a biggy.

When I was younger I used to think that I'd never make it past 50, then later I thought I'd never see the year 2000. I was wrong on both counts.

In fact I've never felt fitter, and my mind is as active as ever. The only let-down has been a few aches and pains, no doubt induced by my own stupid behaviour in my working past.

The older we get, the more we look back on our past lives; and I've found myself doing exactly that on my early morning walks with Bok. I think of my parents, my upbringing, my successes and failures, and mostly of my children and their children.

I'm lucky to be surrounded by my 3 children and their children at the moment. I look at them and try to imagine what they will become, whether, like me, they will get to live through peaceful times and if they will live a life of reasonable comfort. I do hope so.

I can hardly believe the age I am, it seems to have rushed upon me without my being aware. I have to accept it; I have no choice, but I won't let it slow me down, become less irreverent, or less raucous. I shall never suffer fools gladly, never be told what to do by petty authoritarians, and never take notice of killjoy dietitians. If it says 'Don't walk on the grass', I more than likely will!

So, I'm wishing myself good health, steady ladders, and plenty more years of hedonism. Let no-one say that I didn't enjoy myself, and make plenty of mischief.

Here's to the next ten or even twenty years; Cheers.