Post #1359693

@feather1952 @cheryanne Hmmm. I met my in-laws when they were in their early 70s, hale & hearty. Their health, fitness & mental acuity have declined over the last 20+ years, but slowly, & in some ways has escaped their own notice. Admittedly they have no major health problems, but their world has shrunk. She still follows a lot of current events, but not in the same depth or with the same level of understanding. Their “new” home is adequate for their needs if not ideal, with a nice little garden. 20 years ago they would have cringed at the sight of it, but they’re very happy there. They really are enjoying their lives. They walk into town several times a week (less than 1km, with walkers) to shop, have a coffee, go to the Irish pub for lunch, visit the library etc. They drive to a village near their old home for oldies exercise class & Mum’s hair appointment twice a week & lunch with daughter & SIL at a cafe. (The fact that they’re still driving is both amazing & horrifying. Their younger selves would be horrified.) He has his cross stitch & passionate interest in rugby, soccer & cricket, & she reads, communicates with her cat group on Facebook & is co-writing cat stories with one of them. What I’m getting at is that our views & ideas of what constitutes a life worth living change over the years. Some younger people would look at what I do now, retired & with occasional tutoring & my new interest in watercolours, & shake their head. But I’m pulling away from my former fascination with politics & other “big issues”, because I find them too distressing.