Dear LPG,  


Have you ever thought about doing something relatively big?  I feel this to be yet another issue that someone needs to conduct a survey about.  And so I thought I would add my efforts to that mix.      


When I say ‘something relatively big’, I am talking about the sort of ‘bucket-list’ things that so many of us always wanted to do all the time we were busy working.  Those actions that often entered our heads before we left full time education and that we promised to do once we had managed to save the money to get started, or that thing that you can remember promising yourself that you would get into once the children were off your hands and until all the other variables that happen during our working lives stop getting in the way; things like allowing your shoulder to cry on to be there too often when the grown up children get it all wrong.   


I am not necessarily talking about that wish to jump out of a high-flying plane with only a Para shoot between you and a collection of broken bones.   I defy anyone to tell me that there is not one thing they have always promised to do once the time is right. 


I have two friends who are now in their seventies and each of these gentleman are would-be fountains of knowledge when it comes to the well-being of the more classic car.  Each of them have two cars; the more modern one that is still driveable and the really old one that went wrong years ago, and that each of them promised to return to its former glory the minute they retired (even though that was at least ten years ago).  I have a friend I have watched spend the past twenty years planning to learn Italian before visiting Rome, and I have to admit to promising to write a book which I have never actually started in spite of having made so many notes about the plot over the past decade that the story is practically written.  


Each of the people I have talked about, including me, are absolutely resolved to getting started although, when asked, the generic answer as to why they have not actually got going on the project often has something to do with it being ‘too late now’.  This is the reason that I give too with my argument that even if I did get the final version of my book ready, who would illustrate it, even getting it self-published would be a battle and who would really want to read it?   My other survey member did get started on her Italian but worked out that it was going to take time for her to grasp the lingo after a few weeks.  She followed that thought with questions about whether it would be all worth it.   


This, as ever, was one of the smallest surveys ever conducted but I suspect that it is pretty accurate when it comes to being representative of our western world nations.  I would ask every pensioner to ask themselves if there is some project or bucket list task that you have promised to do but that you keep putting off.  Don’t!   


I am not suggesting that anyone puts them self in danger (physical, financial or moral) but, even if you have got to an age or a state of health where you have to water down your original goal.  Find a way to make sure that you never ever get to a stage in your life where you regret not having tried.  Get started!  As they say “ it is never too late”! 

IH, Avery Hill  

 

 

Just in case you are looking for a bucket list option LPG found a list or two…

 

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