I’ve already reached my 81st year and to some people I have already lived a very long life. I know, as I said recently, that I have more years in my past than I have in my future – but everyone could say that because none of us knows when we are going to die.

When I was in my teens I remember saying to some friends that I was going to live until I am 127 and a half and, I suppose that is a possibility, though it’s not at all probable. Right now I have occasional pains related to my age and the fact that my body seems to enjoy losing its cartilage- hence my replaced knees 13 years ago. Sometimes the pains are in my hands or fingers, sometimes a shoulder or an ankle or my toes and even in my replaced knees. My eyesight is causing me some concern as I need it to do all those word puzzles I was given for Christmas and to read all the books that I want to read and to look at all the paintings I want to see. My hearing hasn’t been perfect for a number of years, though it’s now helped with hearing aids.

If those natural losses were capable of being completely replaced and perfected, I might think it would be worth it to live to 127 but that’s not likely. And really, money spent on research to make these problems better for old people really would be a waste when there are so many other things which are more important than that – I don’t have to list all the problems, you can do that yourself.

I don’t really want to die but I’ve got to the point in my life that I’m not scared by the thought.