Category: ageing

Is getting older something to be applauded?

Donald SutherlandDonald Sutherland appeared on Jonathan Ross’ show last Friday to promote his new series Dirty Sexy Money.

When Ross asked him his age and he admitted to being 72, the entire audience applauded!

Sutherland looked bemused and made a gag about it, but it did make me think why people feel the need to clap someone simply for being a certain age.

I know they were also doffing their proverbial caps to his continued career in acting, but it’s not exactly that much of a shock, is it?

I also found the recent tributes to Bruce Forsyth slightly baffling. OK, so he’s 80 and he’s still working, but is that really deserving of such a huge kerfuffle that the BBC made of it?

The entertainment profession is one of the few where age doesn’t seem to be a barrier, so carrying on past the age where you’d get your bus pass shouldn’t exactly herald a need to hang out the bunting, should it?

The fear factor

Diabetes UK logoThe lovely people from Diabetes UK came into our building the other day to raise awareness of the condition.

Their other aim was to promote the fact that you can go to any Lloyds Pharmacy and get a free diabetes test.

I stepped up to get my finger pricked and it was only once I’d sat down and was holding out my middle digit out that a sudden fear swept over me. What if the test showed my bloody sugar levels are sky high.

Fortunately, that wasn’t the case but this fear nagged away at me for the rest of the day. I’m not just talking about diabetes, rather the potential to fall prey to any illness, condition or disease.

Hypochondria this isn’t, more a realisation that I am getting older and have kids, which adds an extra responsibility to my health and wellbeing.

Ten years ago, I really didn’t worry about death. I’m not suggesting I was fearless. The reality is that I just had that 20-something malaise that it’s unlikely to happen to me.

Now, I’m edging closer to 40 and know that my peak years of health and fitness are long gone.

The descent into niggles, aches and pains has started and with it comes the knowledge that every time I take a test for anything I’m more likely to return a detrimental result.