Breaking the Boundaries of Age

As I approach yet another landmark birthday later this month, I have taken the time to reflect on the rapidity of the changes that have occurred during my lifetime so far. Nowadays I might well be described, with a certain degree of accuracy, as a typical middle class, middle aged woman. It was not always the case, as my own upbringing was distinctly working class, although I did briefly benefit from the mixed blessing of a scholarship place at public school, before I ran away, and eventually left.

Certainly the values and morals of society today are very different from even 10 years ago. It is no longer possible, for example, for levels of abuse to remain uncovered and swept under the carpet in quite the same way, although I’d be the first to admit that we still have a very long way to go.

In our working lives jobs are no longer for life. It remains something of a surprise to me when I meet anyone who has held the same position in the same company for much longer than say 10 years. I’m on my fourth career myself, though admittedly not always by choice. There is of course the argument that change is good. We all know of the person who to all intents and purposes blocks any kind of progress, on the grounds that ‘we’ve always done it that way’. However, I would argue that new and different is not always necessarily better; the old cliché, ‘if it’s not broke, why fix it’ comes to mind.

Probably the key factor and facilitator of change has been the significant advances in technology. In tandem with this has been the need for me to adapt to these changes, not always very willingly I might add.

At a recent meeting of the Council of Governors at the RD&E NHS FT, where I represent Somerset, we discussed at some length the introduction of Electronic Patient Records, and both the benefits and drawbacks of such a move, and I have long since accepted that constant, relentless communication seems to be the order of the day, although I refuse to be a slave to my mobile phone, much to the annoyance of others.   

I strive not be typically representative of ‘middle England’, although my favoured activities and interests would fit nicely into that grouping.

With this in mind, I gave consideration to some meaningful way to celebrate my move from one decade to another. I admit that in the past I have always been quite ‘sniffy’ and snobbish about the dubious attractions of tattoos, until I carried out some research for an article on their history. It was with some trepidation therefore that I arrived for my appointment last week with Richard Sukeles, to have my first ever tattoo. I was very apprehensive, both in terms of the pain, and the risk that something so permanent might not be to my liking. I need not have worried, I have been delighted with the result and feel that in confronting my own prejudices I have made my point; that by remaining open minded and being receptive to new experiences the results can be quite surprising and liberating.  As for the design of my tattoo, suffice it to say it is something that perfectly capture the essence of me.