Forever young - home

Forever young

From Wikipedia - the second single released by Sir Rod from his Out of Order album in 1988. He wrote the song with two of his band members: guitarist Jim Cregan and keyboardist Kevin Savigar. The structure of the lyrics is very similar to a Dylan song of the same title. The two men agreed to participate in the ownership of the song and share Sir Rod’s royalties.

  Both songs are about hopes and fears for their children. This Dylan verse might also suggest a recipe for ageing well, a preparation for inevitable change which is manageable.

May your hands always be busy

May your feet always be swift 

May you have a strong foundation

When the winds of change shift

The Sir Rod version is easier on the ear and has been a favourite of mine since the 1990s.

  Ageing has some benefits. You don’t have to look your best. You don’t have to speak, but when you do, you have permission to say more or less what you like. I’ve had a lifetime of saying the wrong things and it’s no better now. If your friends and relatives are still talking to you, they might fondly regard you as a grump (or in my case a legend - maybe). You might then have some wisdom to pass on if anyone is still listening.

This is a personal blog. I'm not selling anything other than myself - an inept older person who thinks he can write a bit. Use the search to find what you want. There are humorous senior moments, older role models and a plea for us all to stay mentally and physically active. Garden glimpses, family matters, from the archive, publishing/writing, sports, and my notebook. Otherwise the world is our limpet.

There is also a writing archive which needs some work - watch this space.

• Accounts of away days - weeks, overnighters and weekend trips (before blogging)
• Family matters - stories and concerns
• Cricket  stories and articles  
•                         Almondbury Casuals CC - a history of a social cricket team. 
•                         Draft mémoires of a cricket graduate/nothing to play for - an autobiography?
• Draft I wonder where the second team play/escape stories - away days with pals
• Some new skills in retirement 
• On writing

linked sites

• Shallileybooks - a social enterprise publisher - sports, music and local history
• Lear - writing archive (1)
• Shalliley - writing archive (2)
• New Mill Male Voice Choir

Further to the 'deja vu momen' and 'this oldie has a blip' - anxiety returns

 A deja vu moment

This oldie has a blip - Sept 2023

Clic on attached links and also note some curation - Owen O'Kane tells Anna Maxted  'why we are addicted to anxiety and what we can do about it' - Times Saturday Feb 15 2025.

I now realise it has never gone away. Lifelong with remissions and flares - currently moderately severe

A deja vu moment

Dave Walker - Forever Young: Dave's notebook: Notebook - inspiring ageing How do you put a silencer on a whisky bottle top? The childbride hears me open it from all the remote corners (o...

Clic on the link for a 2021 blog which describes perfectly where we are today with the garden. There are 4 years in between when lots of things have happened, as Frank would say "too numerous to mention". I'm glad they did happen - evidence that we have a life, despite all the crap that is going on.

   Perhaps most important, my brother died in Nov 2023. Search on brother Steve.

   Winter is not a good time. It's about muddling through - despite another viral eye outbreak and a severe attack of bronchitis which kept me out of circulation for two months. I'm way behind with the choir and down on motivation for most things. Must rebuild. I've asked Dorian (choir MD) for a practice strategy and I wish to return to a diary kind of entry to the blog - pic plus a line or two (no pics whilst I was ill). Walking is difficult with the weather, but a bit of gym work is okay.