Happy Wrinklies Day!

Now, you may be forgiven for thinking that this sign below depicts 'Elderly Persons Crossing' outside a hospital, shopping centre or a Retirement Village. But no, it actually represents 'Wrinklies Day', or to put it correctly, 'International Day of Older Persons'! Which is today by the way!

Line Dancing for the Elderly!

We wrinklies make up a huge number round the world, and every year this number increases. By 2050 the number of older people will be twice the number of children in developed countries, and older persons in developing countries is expected to double. This may not mean very much until we give it numbers: There are approximately 600 million of us older people, that is 60+ years at the moment. This number will double by 2025, and is estimated to rise to 2 billion by 2050! That's a lot of dentures and walking sticks and support stockings and hip replacements coming up.


On the 14 December 1990, the UN General Assembly designated that the 1 October will be the 'International Day of Older Persons'and today is the very first time that I have ever heard of it! (Unless I hear every year and simply forget, that's possible!) The theme of the 2013 commemoration, “The future we want: what older persons are saying” has been chosen to draw attention to the efforts of older persons, civil society organizations, United Nations organizations and Member States to place the issue of ageing on the international development agenda.

When you think of it, older people can play a critical role in their communities. There is all that knowledge gathered over years and years that can be used to help and mentor younger people. (Except if it involves fiddly computer work!) Every charity in the world relies heavily on volunteers, and most people with the time and interest to help are retired. I help at the Hospice Shop, my sister helps at the SPCA, and not only are we doing some good (hopefully) but we enjoy it!

One thing that has changed over the years though is the older family members being able to help the younger families. When I was very young, my granny and aunty lived close enough to us to be able to come and stay every weekend, and I know that if my mum and dad ever needed them to look after us in an emergency, they would be at our house by the time we could walk to the bus stop! That is something that I cannot do with my children, sadly. By the time I have organised a plane ticket, driven to the airport, flown to either Dubai or Madrid, found a taxi to get to them, I am experiencing my own emergency!

Here in Jacobsbaai, we have enough 'Mature' members in the village to celebrate every day!

Darby and Joan and Alfie!!

In the meantime, Happy Day to all the Wrinklies out there, and to the young ones reading this.............Don't laugh, it's your turn very soon!