Thoughts on Approaching Ninety.

 

Perhaps being old is having lighted rooms

Inside your head, and people in them, acting.

People you know yet can’t quite name; each looms

Like a deep loss restored, from known doors turning,

Setting down a lamp, smiling from a stair, extracting

A known book from the shelves; or sometimes only

The rooms themselves, chairs and a fire burning,

The blown bush at the window, or the sun’s

Faint friendliness on the wall some lonely

Rain-ceased midsummer evening. That is where they live:

Not here and now, but where all happened once.

Extract from

The Old Fools

Philip Larkin

Although Larkin in his typically sardonic way, refers contemptuously to old age as “the whole hideous inverted childhood”, one he was yet to experience himself when he was composing his rather cruel observations, I am experiencing a much more tolerable rounding off of a life while acknowledging the

familiarity of the above stanza. It is true now that I experience flashes of images of childhood, often remembering more of the sunlit days than the darker greys of anxiety with a parent. I remember now, unbidden, snatches of conversations, glimpses of interactions long forgotten, reactions to domestic events and almost-submerged earlier fears and hopes. I sometimes catch inner sight of previously known neighbours, friends, teachers, people whom I can’t quite name now but did know once.

My sister and I visiting the wood where
we had played as girls. 2017.

But Larkin is wrong to suggest that the old live “where all happened once.” I read that “memory consolidation” happens when memories that are significant, or emotionally charged earlier in life, tend to be more strongly consolidated or reinforced in the brain so that the older brain prefers to recall the older, more strongly delineated images which may well be more accessible. Simply put, from one aspect, it is easier and quicker so to do. In almost every conscious way now, I always choose the easier path in deference to my fading powers. When I forget a name, it often pops up a few minutes later and one wonders if a cell in that part of the memory circuit has died and a search elsewhere in an adjacent circuit has been necessary to nail the apposite word! If the sought-after word/name does not appear quite quickly, I let it go; it is worth no further effort. But these half-remembered days or people, through albeit imperfect memories, do bring a fleeting joy of familiarity and recognition which is comfortable and often amusing.

Attitudes to events, anniversaries, celebrations are often coloured and shaped by the view the individual has to a particular occurrence before or after it has occurred. A growing body of research suggests, for instance, that a person's mindset -- how they feel about growing old --may predict how much longer and how well they live.  Several studies over the past 20 years suggest people with more positive viewson ageing, live longer, healthier lives than those with negative perceptions of the ageing process. Recently, a large nationwide study of nearly 14,000 adults over the age of 50 took an even deeper look into the ways in which positive thinking about ageing could impact a person's physical health, health behaviours and psychological well-being.

Age 82

Published in J.A.M.A. Network Open, the study found those with the highest satisfaction with ageing had a 43% lower risk of dying from any cause during four years of follow-up compared to those with the lowest satisfaction. People with higher satisfaction also had a reduced risk for chronic conditions such as diabetes, stroke, cancer and heart disease, as well as better cognitive functioning. People with a more positive attitude about growing old also were more likely to engage in frequent physical activity and less likely to have trouble sleeping than their less-satisfied peers. They also were less lonely, less likely to be depressed, more optimistic and had a stronger sense of purpose. "There's a connection
between mindsets and health behaviours," says Eric Kim, the study's senior investigator and an assistant professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. "One leads to the other." For instance, as Kim wrote in the journal Preventive Medicine, the more satisfied people over 50 are with HOW they are ageing, the more likely they are to have their cholesterol tested or be screened for breast, cervical or prostate cancer.

But it cuts both ways. While having a positive attitude can lead to behaviours that promote good health, "If people believe poor health is inevitable with age, this can be a self-fulfilling prophecy that keeps them from behaviours that will help with ageing," said Kim, who is also a researcher at the Center for Health and Happiness at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. "The good news is, these views we hold about ageing are changeable. We can shift our mindset," says Hannah Giasson, who co-wrote the Preventive Medicine study with Kim. She is an assistant professor at the Arizona State University Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation in Phoenic and specialises in the relationship between people's views on ageing and their health and well-being. The same two researchers extrapolate from their studies, to suggest several useful attitudes which enable people to maintain a healthy optimism while ageing.

1. Maintain a sense of purpose

"Some people aren't sure what to do with themselves after they retire", said Kim. He suggests finding projects that align with a person's values. "If family is a high priority, find things to do that contribute to the family, such as helping to care for grandchildren. If conservation is a strong value, find projects that

contribute to the health of the environment. Volunteer work is a great way to do this," he said.

2. Recognize negative messages about ageing. Research shows negative stereotypes about ageing are internalized over a person's life span and can harm physical and cognitive health as a person grows older. "Develop an awareness of these messages," suggests Giasson. " Understand how they influence us." For example, a person may believe poor physical health is inevitable for older adults so there is no use in trying to stay active. But according to the National Institute on Ageing, exercise can lower the risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. and can improve sleep and reduce the risk of falls. "Recognise that practising healthy behaviours can support health at any age," Giasson says.

3. Stay socially active.

All, including camera-woman, born in 1934 and celebrating that fact in 2016

As people age, they may lose loved ones such as spouses, family members or friends. If a spouse was responsible for maintaining social networks and that person dies, the remaining spouse may grow lonely and more socially isolated. Social isolation and loneliness are risk factors for poor physical and mentalhealth, increasing the risk for heart attacks and strokes and contributing to poor life satisfaction,

depression, low self-esteem and difficulty with daily life activities. But research shows maintaining social connections can have a positive effect on health. Kim said it's important to make new connections to replace those you've lost. "What typically happens is people stop making new friends. Re-engage mechanisms for meeting people that were there earlier in life," he advises, such as joining a club or taking part in community organizations.

4. Try something new

I was introduced to Mah Jong when I was 81. it
continues to provide pleasure, intellectual
activity and regular social contact.

Sometimes people lose mobility as they age and may not be able to engage in the activities that brought them joy when they were younger. Kim suggests trying to "redeploy that energy in a new way, such as teaching a skill or craft instead of practising it. Or learn something new that is less physically demanding."  Research suggests that older adults who learn new skills can improve memory, self-esteem and overall quality of life. "Don't fall into the mindset that it's too late to try something new" she says. "It's never too late and you're never too old to explore new interests."

Although this blog began with my meandering thoughts on ageing as I near my 90^th, it developed into a mini-manual on research findings to cheer up the ageing! So, to finish, another quote, but this time from a super little book given to me by a friend in Bruges; its sub-title is Lyrics and Legends of the American Indian and its title comes from the last two lines of the quote below, taken from the wisdom of a Navajo Benedictory Chant:

Beauty is before me

And beauty behind me,

Above and below me hovers the beautiful,

I am surrounded by it,

I am immersed in it.

In my youth I am aware of it

And in old age

I shall walk quietly

The beautiful trail.

Walk quietly the beautiful trail

Navajo American Indian

 something new," she said. "It's never too late, and you're never too old to explore new interests."