Bonfire of . the cardigans
Why should the young have a monopoly on fun? Older people should smarten up and suck the marrow out of life, argues the Queen’s former press secretary.
rowing old isn’t what it once was. In the long
history of mankind. there‘s never been a
better time to age gracefully and creatively. We are. on average. living many years longer than our forefathers. and we‘re more prosperous and healthy than we would have been even a few decades ago. The traditional view once was that vibrant. useful life fix/led out as we approached retirement. and that we crashed into the buffers on the very day we quit the full-time rat race. Goodbye to all that. This isn't some sort of late rehearsal for life. This is it. After full-time work we can still live exciting and productive lives in our (ilis. 70s. 80s and even 90s.
The health and longevity of the populations of almost all the richer countries in the world is a great human success story. Most septuagenarians these days have far better health and prospects than 50- year-olds had a mere half-century ago. Playing around with numbers. this means that 65 is the new 50. 75 the new 60. and so on. We should try to make the most of it. Ageing is no spectator sport. Young people tick off the years at exactly the same rate. But numerical age is just that: a number. lt‘s what lies behind that number that matters. and our longevity largely depends not only on how actively and healthily we have lived out our lives so far. but how we intend to look after ourselves from now on. Couch-potatoing in our carpet slippers in front of the dying embers of our lives is highly dangerous. A vast amount of medical and social research has proved that doing nothing constructive seriously shortens lives.
Too many people shy away from preparing for their later lives. Working out a set of post-employment tactics is essential. From now on we’re going to be largely free from the daily grind. We still have lots of domestic duties to attend to but. well protected by all the latest medical and surgical advances. we can break through many of the old boundaries of ageing. Creating an active retirement strategy and having some self-discipline is critical. Recharging ourselves. and telling ourselves that if we haven't achieved our life‘s ambitions up till now. it is not too late to be what we once wanted to be. The rite—of—passage between non-stop work and the uncertainty of full- time leisure can be devastating. We need to switch gear slowly. and find ways of cushioning the process.
Here‘s a few ideas for living life to the full. List a range of things you really want to do from now on. Go in for further education. Learn to play a musical instrument. or to paint or draw. or pursue the hobby you’ve never had time to follow in the past. Set up a new business. find part-time work. or go in for voluntary work at home or overseas: there‘s a huge
10 THE LIST 30 Mar—13 Apr 2006
DON'T MOAN ABOUT YOUTHFUL YOBS, GRAFFITI AND WHITE-VAN
demand for retired people with the necessary skills. We mustn‘t neglect them. So many of us spend so much time putting out today’s fires that we forget to plan for what can be a long run ahead. Develop what‘s called creative leisure. ()ur new freedom years are a bit like wandering through a well-stocked supermarket: the aisles and shelves are stacked high with opportunities. What do we want to take with Us in our shopping trolleys‘.’
Don‘t concentrate on the past. Ditch nostalgia. Don‘t keep talking about all the wonderful things that happened back then. since most of them didn't. Think anew. And ditch the downside. Many nasty little sins and signs of ageing lurk around. Don't complain too much. or go through the day grumbling about life in general. You can create a lot of enemies if you sit in your darned. coffee-stained clothes and moan about the iniquities of youthful yobs. graffiti. chewing gum on pavements. white-van drivers. and so on.
Minding our health matters enortnously now. It's no longer three score years and ten we‘re aiming at: it‘s four score years and more. Even if we‘ve looked after ourselves badly in the past. it's not too late. By improving our fitness. cholesterol levels. blood pressure. body fat. smoking. alcohol consumption and stress. we can extend our biological age by a remarkable number of years. Don‘t let personal habits lapse into a cluttered old age. lt's bonfire of the cardigans time. If we wander around looking like down and outs. that‘s how we'll be treated by those around us. ('rumpled jackets with the buttons in all the wrong buttonholes. badly stained trousers. wine and coffee marks on our ties‘.’ Bin them. Buy some new gear. If we dropped dead today. is this really how we‘d like to be remembered? No way. These really can be the best years of our lives.
The Freedom Years is out now published by Capstone.
Still Game
PlUCKING FRUITS FROM THE CULTURAL BUSH
qrapevme
I 80. Kanye West is to be the latest hip hop star to take the plunge into the movie world. But unlike Eminem and 50 Cent before him. the rapper isn't interested in the bankable biopic. Instead. West will appear in a collection of shorts inspired by his music. directed by a variety of filmmakers. We are intrigued . . . Eight years after she first donned the ginger wig for Elizabeth. Cate Blanchett is to reprise the role of the ruthless queen in a sequel which rejoins the historical drama 15 years on, and incorporates her turbulent relationship with Samantha Morton's Mary Queen of Scots . . .As the summer festival line- ups begin to take shape. news filters through that Fife folkster KT Tunstall has been confirmed for the Isle of Skye festival in mid-June. joining fellow Scot Mylo and New York's Fun Lovin’ Criminals . . . American funk outfit Black Eyed Peas have announced a gig at Glasgow's SECC on 12 June . . . The retro revival continues with the news that Roxy Music are to reform for a new album. Bryan Ferry and co will now be reunited with electro-pioneer Brian Eno. who walked out on the band in 1973. Tour dates are expected to follow . . . Louis Thenoux is to return to 8802 for a new series of documentaries to be screened over the next three years. The man who thrives on exposing the lives of eccentric celebrities (remember the cringe-inducing portrayal of Jimmy Savile?) returns to our screens after writing his book The Call of the Weird. Nutters and freaks. your spotlight awaits.