Dear LPG,

I think, in general, that as we get older we get more impatient.  If I am honest, I have noticed this in myself a little bit and I can’t help but see this trait emerging more and more with my mother’s generation. 

Before it happened, I have to admit to not knowing what I would find to do with my time once I retired, but I have been surprised at how quickly my days became filled with all sorts of things to do.  There are the things that we promise that we will make time for, like having a serious sort-out at home and I always promised myself that I would make more time for the younger and older generations of my family.

While my grandchild-babysitting services are regularly called upon, I have also focussed on the older members of my family quite a bit.  My mother lives alone now and since I retired last October I have spent a lot more time with her.  I have found myself having more time to do things like go shopping with her, and I also like to make myself and my car useful by dropping her off and picking her up from places like the day centres she attends, especially when the weather gets really cold.

I don’t usually stay, but she attends a local exercise class with her friends and it is pointless leaving her for just one hour; it is time to collect her before I know it.   So I stay, read or spend time on my mobile phone until the class is over, at which time there is usually a cup of tea on offer at the centre where my Mum and her friends have time for a quick chat before leaving. 

I suppose that you would expect the conversation to gravitate towards the exercise session that they have just taken part in, but the fact that they always seem to get around to talking about their dissatisfaction with their personal progress never ceases to amaze me.  I find myself wondering what their expectation of the class is; what difference they hope it will make. When I asked, they told me that they expected to lose some weight or look thinner.  They are not happy with the fact that they are more active and healthy for having done the class. I tried to get them to focus on how much worse they would feel for not taking part, but they appear to be more interested in comparing the resulting aches and pains.

I have to wonder whether it is a characteristic that we all are affected by as we get older, or if it is a reflection of the ‘faster’ world that we all expect to see measurable results at all times and in all things. 

It has been good to get closer to my mum again; we don’t realise how much of our time is taken up by work when we have to make our living that way.  So even though retirement is a new experience for me I think that I am going to enjoy it as long as I remember to focus on the positive. 

SW, Beckenham

As ever LPG found a little inspiration on the internet…

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