I guess there's a danger of this becoming a negative, self absorbed, whinging, moaning kind of blog. and that's no good. I make no secret of the fact that I am not enjoying the ageing process one bit and it makes me very miserable and sad. However I have to look at all the good things for I know that there are many who are not nearly as fortunate as I am. I know that we all have to live in our own reality and deal with it accordingly. But I do think that to step outside that and practice some objectivity is necessary.
I'm lucky. I have a roof over my head. I have clothes on my back. I have food in the cupboard. I was fortunate in that two of the jobs before I retired had pensions with them so in addition to my state pension I have two occupational pensions which means that I don't have to make the 'heat or eat' decision in the colder months. I'm not rich but I can live comfortably with a regular income.
My physical body may have let me down but for the moment my brain still seems to be okay. I do my fair share of forgetting names of people and objects (especially plants for some weird reason), I can't always find the word I want and know in conversation and I ‘enjoy’ the irritating practice of arriving in a room and wondering what I came in there for but I can still think and articulate to a reasonable level, I think! You may disagree!
Also, I can still get in the bath! Only my bath, mind you. I never risk it in an alien bath. For with mine I know all the hand holds, exactly how to clamber in safely and without too much strain on my complaining limbs. I’ve had one or two scares where I’ve thought I can’t get out but I’ve managed to overcome them so far. I know the time will come when I have to get rid of the bath but I’ll take it one day at a time.( This could have had a place in the extreme sports post!)
Sometimes I despair at the over dependence on the Internet, and how everything has to be digitized, and every brand, company, activity you can think of has to have an app that must be used to gain maximum benefits. And how social media demands we share all aspects of our life and comment on other peoples or envy other people! But the practice of online shopping has been an absolute boon. Particularly for bulk and heavy items that I can no longer carry. Also for keeping in touch with friends and family. Video chats on WhatsApp means I can see my brother even though he’s miles away. having a smart phone makes me feel safer too. I make sure that I don’t go anywhere in the house or garden without it so that if I got into any difficulties - for example if I fell and couldn’t get up, I’ve got the phone there and I could contact somebody to come and help me.
As much as I complain, I do try to strike a balance by developing what a friend of mine calls positive mental attitude - PMA - and if I start to get down or negative with her she just says those three initials to me.
So today, and hopefully it isn’t just one day only, I’m trying to practice PMA.
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