Immortality

I don't want to live to a hundred & I certainly don't want to be immortal. I would quite like to think that I would remain in the memories of family & friends for a while after the part of me that matters, my brain & soul, has departed this body. Dying isn't a problem really. The possible problem is how you die & the legacy you leave behind.

In living for 77 years I must have impacted in some way on a huge number of people. Not least all the children I taught. Looking back & comparing education then & now I realise that I didn't always get it right, either in teaching or running schools. Everything is in a state of change & over years they do improve. Human beings can learn to do things better.

I've made mistakes as a parent & as a friend too. The thing about ageing is that if you have the capacity to reflect, honestly, you do know you could have been a better person. When the responsibilities of managing a family, a home & a job lessen you have the time to observe & reflect more. It isn't possible to change the past. All you can do is try to be the best you can be now. 

Old people are no different to young people really. Although they may not be as conversant with technological change & modern thinking, they do have more experience. Society needs a balanced age mix where every voice can be heard & valued. I don't think that is actually the case though. The old criticise the young for their naivety, the young criticise the old for being out of touch.

Interestingly this Blog will possibly make me immortal. I never set out with that aim in mind. It was my way of coping with the awful events in my life in 2009. It has helped me cope with the huge adjustments  in the last 13 years. In the absence of my husband & friend it allowed me to externalise the day to day things that impacted on me. It has become far more political & philosophical & less personal over time.

But my immortality will depend on there still being people reading it. So my thanks to the thousands of readers over the years.