Learning How To Be Old

Pinky Agnew, a much-loved New Zealand comedian, entertainer, and funeral celebrant, talks with Rachel McAlpine (me) about managing friendships in old age. Midlife is a good time to consider your friendships and what lies ahead. Is fear of loneliness a factor in your private FOGO (Fear Of Getting Old)?“Managing friendships” is not just about avoiding loneliness, a known killer of old people — it...

We all hit obstacles with our computers and smartphones and tablets, but IT issues in later life can seem especially tricky. That might be partly because of normal age-related changes like arthritis, poor eyesight, or short term memory failings. Or it might be because we've retired, because at work we might have had an IT team to call on.Oliver Couchman has been helping people tackle problems...

I've never seen hockey cited as an easy or safe sport for seniors, but Di Jordan, 69, plays on with wisdom and a wild joy. Don't stop, she says.Di will turn 70 on her next birthday, which is a big deal for a Masters hockey player. It means she'll progress from being the oldest in her beloved 65+ team to the 70+ tier, where she will be the youngest player... for a while. She talks about the many...

Are you a bit skeptical about spirituality? Do you wonder whether you even have a spiritual life? And whether this might help you in old age? Michael Fitzsimons, a wise and open-minded poet, cancer survivor and former trainee-priest, explores spirituality for skeptics, beginners and believers alike.We explore some interesting ideas including these: maybe everyone prays, whether we know it or...

I asked Deborah Shepard to talk about writing your life story, because she has been teaching a course on memoir writing for 20 years. Tips are especially useful as you get older, because your life story gets longer and longer and longer! The rewards for writing a memoir will surprise you, I think, because they can be profound. Not financial rewards for most of us, but rewards such as confidence,...

I enjoy reading tips from a centenarian about why they've lived so long and stayed so perky. Now well over 100, Doris Carnevali devised an original system for tackling the never-ending problems of daily life in extreme old age, and reasons for gratitude.Whether you are almost old, already old, or never-gonna-be-old, she is my role model for positive ageing. I'm sharing three key chapters from my...

Even as toddlers we start establishing ourselves as autonomous individuals, and we turn up the volume in our teens. Then in old age we are obliged (or expected) to gradually surrender some decisions, some control over our lives. How are we to navigate these changes?Defending our autonomy is a serious business at any age. In this bonus episode, the Sturdy Centenarian rages against “thoughtless...

I yearn for good conversation in old age, and I have problems. There's tons of advice about how to talk TO old people. But I AM that old person, and I need help too. So I asked Kirsty Ferguson for help.In my 80s, I'm hard of hearing and slow to process information. I miss the jokes, I interrupt, give unsolicited advice, repeat myself and lose track. I'm sometimes silent and sometimes rude. So I...

Do old people like me use different proverbs than young people? We got them from our parents and grandparents and teachers, who got them from the Bible and Shakespeare and other writers. I was pretty sure that today's young people have different ones,probably with different messages. I needed a panel of young people to explain this to me, so my grandson Max McAlpine, age 27, and Gabriella Eaton,...

Easy aging? Bring it on! Forget about aging successfully, positively, wisely, productively. They all sound rather difficult. Let's age the natural way, your way. At 75 I had an Easy Aging Year, and started 12 tiny lifestyle habits. I gained clarity, confidence and optimism about old age. So can you. Don't miss this episode if you think you might be old one day! I'm the guest this time! My host...