On age
In an earlier post I was rightly pulled up by Judith of ‘Not Dead Yet’ for saying ‘the wrong side of sixty’, however for most of us there might be a better or worse side of any age. For me the right side of twenty is definitely this side and the right side of forty is the other side. Though, with the arrival of Xavier some of my happiest years were after forty. In fact when I think about it, I’m quite content with my mind this side of fifty – all that acquired knowledge and life experience. I just wish that my fifty year old brain came packaged in the energetic ache-free body that I had the other side of thirty. After starting this post I see that 91 year old Diana Athill has won the major literary prize – the Costa Biography Award for her memoir, Somewhere Towards the End. Isn’t it wonderful to achieve something like that, she’s gives us all hope.
The picture is completely unrelated to the text and is another one of Nick at the paper mill.
posted by Julie Oakley at Monday, January 05, 2009
4 Comments:
Interesting, Julie. You began by saying, if I've read you right, that you wouldn't want to be under 20 again, but you would like to be under 40. But you are making that judgment from where you are now. And then you realise the advantages of the mature mind too!
I think I can safely say I have always been happy to be the age I was in, certainly until I turned 50, and possibly even 60, after which I began to have heart problems and began to face the fact of my own mortality! Like you, my early 40s were enhanced by the arrival of a lateish last baby.
Also, I have always enjoyed my children for the age they were at the time, not harking back to when they were babies. Until, now that is. In old age, when you are no longer the 'present' generation as it were, but moving on to be the 'past' generation, then suddenly you start to hark back and yearn to be doing it all again.
Yes I think life was pretty good over 20. And I agree about children, I may have been lucky but I have none of the usual complaints about teenagers. I adore babies and toddlers but it's a real joy to spend time with a child who is nearing adulthood and I imagine that adult children who know the family history, family jokes etc must be enormously good company.
I've almost one year left of my forties, (50 at the end of this new year!)and have learnt so much during this decade. It's important to enjoy every age because we will always look back at it and see how young we were! I'm going to squeeze evry inch out of '49'! ;)x
You young uns! Every decade has its moments - beaut ones, and sour ones. I reached 70 last birthday but really don't feel different except when a cold night gives my neck a bit of a twinge. And as for elderly models, they are fine to draw. A friend who has few inhibitions is a jolly 28 size, is about 55 and the students like to draw her.
w.
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