Our Lounge is beneficial, says Ian Begaud
IAN BEGAUD
A bonsai tree becomes more valuable as it ages. As we get older shouldn’t we become more valuable with all of our experience, doing things that did work and things that didn’t work?
Being with other people for years and exchanging ideas and experiences with them? And yet older people can be maligned and ignored as just old farts who are not with it!
Because our culture is obsessed with youth and we are bombarded with anti-ageing this and that. The ubiquitous emphasis on youth and beauty and fitness seems to leave no room for getting old.
Unfortunately, many retire with the idea that they will do a trip and then sit down, watch tele and play with the computer and do nothing much else … what a waste!
What about goals, about exercise, about being useful? What about putting that experience to use whether it is in mentoring people, being a volunteer, becoming actively involved in an organisation or club? What about trying those different sports and hobbies we had no time for before we retired?
In getting a group of men together, there have been more benefits than we could have imagined.
To start with we only had a few lectures about health and prevention of various diseases etc. Now with the passage of a couple of years we have men getting together, talking to each other and doing things together.
One of the important things that contributes to ageing well is exercise. We now have blokes cycling both fast and slowly, playing golf, cards, barefoot bowls and darts, fishing, walking on the beach. As well, the blokes also go to movies, go on occasional outings to places of interest, have regular barbecues and, of course, have coffees, breakfast or lunch.
We get out of the house and away from the significant partner or wife and have male company to discuss things that are of no interest to wives etc. We were all engaged with other men when working but now - where are those blokes? When we left work, we left them behind. Our blokes are getting together and having fun!
What about ideas for other things to do, and places to go even with the significant other or with our mates?
How about the food we eat? Let’s face it, too much food and drink was an occupational hazard when we worked but now it is up to us as to how much etc.
Our health has to be a huge priority in our life if we are going to succeed in ageing gracefully.
In her book A Backward Glance, American author Edith Wharton wrote: “One can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways”.
Good on you blokes for getting out there and doing it!!
Ian, a Life Member, was President from 2013-18
Being with other people for years and exchanging ideas and experiences with them? And yet older people can be maligned and ignored as just old farts who are not with it!
Because our culture is obsessed with youth and we are bombarded with anti-ageing this and that. The ubiquitous emphasis on youth and beauty and fitness seems to leave no room for getting old.
Unfortunately, many retire with the idea that they will do a trip and then sit down, watch tele and play with the computer and do nothing much else … what a waste!
What about goals, about exercise, about being useful? What about putting that experience to use whether it is in mentoring people, being a volunteer, becoming actively involved in an organisation or club? What about trying those different sports and hobbies we had no time for before we retired?
In getting a group of men together, there have been more benefits than we could have imagined.
To start with we only had a few lectures about health and prevention of various diseases etc. Now with the passage of a couple of years we have men getting together, talking to each other and doing things together.
One of the important things that contributes to ageing well is exercise. We now have blokes cycling both fast and slowly, playing golf, cards, barefoot bowls and darts, fishing, walking on the beach. As well, the blokes also go to movies, go on occasional outings to places of interest, have regular barbecues and, of course, have coffees, breakfast or lunch.
We get out of the house and away from the significant partner or wife and have male company to discuss things that are of no interest to wives etc. We were all engaged with other men when working but now - where are those blokes? When we left work, we left them behind. Our blokes are getting together and having fun!
What about ideas for other things to do, and places to go even with the significant other or with our mates?
How about the food we eat? Let’s face it, too much food and drink was an occupational hazard when we worked but now it is up to us as to how much etc.
Our health has to be a huge priority in our life if we are going to succeed in ageing gracefully.
In her book A Backward Glance, American author Edith Wharton wrote: “One can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways”.
Good on you blokes for getting out there and doing it!!
Ian, a Life Member, was President from 2013-18
