YesBut you are never too old.

One of the noticeable things when reading blogs, or to be correct the profile of bloggers, is the wide age range of bloggers from Teens to Old Crinklies like me.

I meet people who are fearful of the approach of retirement. In their minds they only exist as the job they do. The first question they ask is not “how are you?” or “what’s your name?” but “what do you do?”. Remove them from their occupation and they become like deflated balloons. Others say “I really love my work, I don‘t want to retire”. Haven’t they heard this isn’t a rehearsal - it’s the only life we have, live it to the full.

That is one problem I have to protect against. I have great pleasure preparing this blog and YesBut’s Images, but it takes time. I have to guard against living my life out only through the medium of blogging. Having said that I have to shout from the roof tops the benefits of blogging for Old Crinklies- as they say “use it or lose it”.

The brain is a muscle and needs to be exercised. What better exercise than sitting before a blank computer screen and thinking about words and images to convey your thoughts and ideas.

Irrespective of age the brain needs its daily workout. YesBut’s Research and Development boffins have just concluded extensive tests and have conclusive evidence the optimum brain exercise is participating in YesBut’s Images Caption Competition.

Today is the last day to post a caption for the photos posted on YesBut’s Images on7th to 13th July.

So put on your thinking caps and think up captions.

But your participation doesn’t end there. It’s up to you to select the Caption of the Week. Your vote of the best and runner-up caption should be posted on YesBut’s Images blog by midnight Sunday 15th July.

To remind you of the rules:

• Visit the blog and review the captions for the postings 7th to 13th July inclusive.
• Select your wining caption and runner up
• Post your choices on the blog (some times contributors submit more than one caption each day; so please clearly identify which caption you are nominating).
• Voting will close at midnight GMT Sunday 15th July.

First nominations will be given 2 point, 2nd nominations 1 point. The caption having the highest total of points will be awarded the “Caption of the Week Award“.

Results will be posted on this blog and YesBut’s Images.

Join in the fun cast your vote even better post a caption - click here.

The Price of Leisure

The rain is lashing against the window - so I can’t go for a walk.

Nothing on TV.

Don’t feel like surfing the Net.

Might as well go back to bed.

How did people cope before the Net, TV or even radio? In reality they didn’t have much leisure time. It was more a case of surviving. Work filled most of the day. In the evenings, the men might go to a pub. Social events associated with religious institutions played a big part in women’s lives. Children were adept at entertaining themselves. There was no need to worry about how to pass their time in retirement - most didn’t live long enough to retire, (my Grandfather, my Father and two of his three brothers died before they were 65 yeas old).

How things have changed. Today, people work because of leisure. They work to put money into their pension fund. Then there’s the two foreign holidays taken each year, satellite TV, buying DVD’s, Broadband rental, attending football matches, the cinema, theatre, taking the kids out for a meal, mobile phones for themselves and the kids, the must have gadget, the must have designer cloths - all these have to be paid for. So people work so that they can be entertained in there limited periods of leisure.

One of the prices we pay is the loss of community. People are so busy, providing for their family, that they no longer have time to interact with their neighbours.

I might have related this story before -my cousin phoned, he was quite upset, he had failed to attend a neighbours funeral. He hadn’t heard that she had died. Yet less than thirty years ago, the whole street would have known within less than an hour of her death. Neighbours would have been out on the street talking, going to the house of the deceased offering help. The whole ritual surrounding death has changed. Now there are professional bearers to carry the coffin; years ago you would make your last journey to the grave on the shoulders of neighbours and friends.

I’m getting morbid, grumpy and farting. I’m going to bed.