Ageing thoughtfully
From grey to multicoloured vision
“Old people, don’t feel like old people
They may not run as fast they used to run
They may not remember everything they’ve done
But there’s no people like old people
Once upon a time, way back when
They were just like you, you were just like them”
The above lyrics are from a program on CBeebies where Nick Cope sings songs for children. Another CBeebies favourite, Bluey, has an episode where the family are going on holiday by car and want to avoid getting stuck behind the ‘grey nomads’ - older people in big camper vans or towing caravans who will slow them down. Yes, I’m still in a phase where I mainly watch children’s television and it’s making me philosophical!
Thinking about getting older, I realised that I too used to see older people as a homogeneous mass of grey (apologies!) As a child, I had older people of special importance to me of course - my grandparents, a kindly neighbour called Rita. They had their own personalities. And often, they gave me sweets! I was certainly in favour of them, but I thought older people I didn’t know were all very similar in personality. Presumably at some point, your hair turned grey and you automatically started listening to Radio 4? You’d watch the news and knit, cook roast dinners and enjoy gardening? Get a National Trust membership, complete crosswords and talk about the good old days?!
Maybe I’ve reached the age myself now where I can see the full spectrum of life stages. I see a lot of very young children at my son’s nursery or play areas. I marvel at the seemingly fearless confidence, the unabashed curiosity and energy. And with older people, I now see individuals. I see and hear different outlooks, beliefs and choices. Cat or dog owners, or the pet-free. Devotees of different sports or clubs. Tattoos, vintage cars, motorbikes, book groups, travel and yoga. Basically, I can now see that you still have different personalities and interests at every age!
My local park has two bowling greens with their own clubs. I often watch the players, thinking how social and relaxing it looks. The messy middle of midlife often feels anything but that! I might be looking forward to whatever comes next. I’m also listening to the indie band soundtrack of my youth and finding new poetry in the lyrics…
“When it’s done, and all this is gone
Just find a feeling, pass it on”