What a cracker of an observation from the American poet, Emily E Dickinson! Exactly one year ago before my 72nd birthday I was diagnosed with Coeliac disease which means I must remain on a gluten-free diet for the rest of my life. The gluten was eating me! So, no more pizzas, pasta, bread, cakes, biscuits, naan bread, or …… Cornish pasties. Also, no more canned soups, baked beans, sauces, etc etc etc ……. you really won’t believe what you have stored in your cupboards that has wheat in it. We threw out of our house box loads of foods and sauces, all containing wheat. A small fun challenge for you, look at the labels on stuff in your larder and see how many products contain wheat. Eating out has become a heck of an ongoing challenge, no more beer either, but thank goodness wine is ok! I suddenly felt old.

Then, if that wasn’t enough, 3 months later I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had my prostate removed in October. Not complaining, but restricted movement and incontinence (for now) takes some getting used to!

Anyway, to return to the quote, at 60 I was still climbing big peaks in the Himalaya and frozen waterfalls in the Alps. At 65 I was still cycling close to 100 miles in a day. So, nobody can convince me that old age crept up on me, it didn’t! How about you?

Categories: Philosophy

Tags: Emily Dickinson, growing old, Old Age, Quotations