05/09/2026
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT AGEING? 🤍
I had a really lovely afternoon out with Frankie today in Richmond, being Ted Lasso tourists 😂 mooching around the town, finding some of the places where the series was filmed and generally enjoying ourselves.
I’d never been to Richmond before and thought it was absolutely gorgeous.
Then something happened on the way home that made me think.
The train was packed and a very kind young man offered me his seat.
It was a lovely gesture. Thoughtful, considerate and something we should probably see more of.
But I didn’t take it.
Because suddenly, I realised why he was offering it to me.
He thought I was old. 😳😂
And strangely, it affected me more than I expected.
It’s actually the second time in the last few weeks that a young man has offered me his seat on a train, and both times I’ve walked away thinking about ageing.
I’m 66 now. I’ve grown the colour out of my hair and it’s white. But I rarely think about my age and I certainly don’t walk around feeling 66.
I just feel like me.
I still have plans. Ideas. Things I want to create. Places I want to go. Things I want to learn. Experiences I want to have. I still get excited about what’s ahead of me.
And yet, in one small moment of kindness, I suddenly saw myself through someone else’s eyes.
An older woman who might need a seat.
Isn’t that interesting?
Perhaps one of the strangest things about ageing is that the person we see in the mirror changes, and the way other people see us changes, but inside, we don’t necessarily feel very different at all.
Maybe that’s something worth remembering.
Our age tells people how many years we’ve lived. It doesn’t tell them how much life we still have inside us.
So, yes, my hair may be white.
Yes, I’m 66.
And apparently I’ve now reached the “would you like my seat?” stage of life. 😂
But am I old?
I’m not quite ready to claim that one yet. 💚
I’d really love to know...
How do YOU feel about ageing?
Has there ever been a moment when somebody else suddenly made you aware of it?
