Jane McIntyre

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Hello.

I'm Jane McIntyre, a voiceover and writer, formerly an award-winning BBC radio newsreader and producer. My blog covers life, love and loss; travel, coffee and chocolate; with some heartfelt pieces in the mix about my late dad, who had dementia. Just a click away, I'm half of the team behind www.thetimeofourlives.net - two empty nesters who whizzed round the world in 57 days.

Monday, 17 June 2013

Age: More than a number?




This all started when my sixteen year old was describing a woman she`d met.

`She was, you know, like you, she said. `Oldish`. She then laughed a bit, to make it sound like a joke.  I started to think really hard, about how I viewed people `of my age` ..when I was her age. Parents, teachers, bloke in the corner shop, Yep all ancient.

I then wondered what age you had to be, for most of the population to be younger than you. Was I there yet? Hell, yes. A piece in the Economist earlier this year said that of the seven billion or so people in the world in 2011, the average person was just under 32. That`s disturbing for lots of reasons, but at least I can tell teen daughter that on a global scale--she`s positively middle aged. That`ll stop her chortling.

When it comes to my age, (37), I`m sensitive. Yeh OK, and dishonest. I put it down to anxiety about time ticking away and losing a mother way too young. But am I the only one? And never mind the rest of the world-- where do I sit age wise, I wondered, among the people who follow me on Twitter?

I asked for people to Tweet me their ages. More than thirty people hammered back their responses.
There was a barrage, first, with 43 year old Karen leading the attack.Then:` 41, 55, 36, 44! ` from
Diane, Geoff, Ciaran and Hefin, swiftly followed by `42, 40, 56, ` from Martin in France,  Michelle-out-west and Tim.

And another `40` with multiple exclamation marks from Dave Burrows at the Shropshire Star. Cheryl in France, told me she was 41, and `running to keep in shape.` More twenties and thirties...followed, a sprinkling of fifty somethings; a 61 year old mum, and a loud and proud `62` from Nonny; none of them thinking twice about coming clean.


So where did I sit among my Twitter group? I`m hopeless at stats, So--think theatres. If the youngest of those who replied was in the orchestra pit, I`d have to clamber out of there sharpish;  leg it up through the stalls, all of them, then tonk up into the circle to find my place. The back...of the circle.With the upper circle looming large. You get me?

And it turned out that I`m not the only one who gets a bit twitchy about the topic.

The man who shall be known only as `H`, messaged me in private.`Sorry Jane,` he wrote.`Couldn`t bring myself to put it on the open market. A greying, balding, wheezing 41`. I hear you, H.

Two were heading for big milestones. Like Mike.`I`m 39 and eleven months,` he wrote.`And reflective to a certain degree.` He`s planning a party. But, he admitted, ` procrastinating about sending the invitations out. I think that sums it up quite well!`

Emma, a Shropshire businesswoman hits 30 soon--with mixed feelings. `Everyone says it`s great and that you feel better in your thirties, `she said.` I feel I haven`t reached the goals I thought I would have done when I was sixteen. I worry than I`m going to turn into a cat lady, as I haven`t found anyone yet.` That said, Emma admitted she was looking forward to her party, and to adventures that lay ahead.

If 41 year old chef Lisa is anything to go by, Emma`s got it all to look forward to. `I`m loving my age,` she tweeted, `confident in who I am, and knowing that I`ll grow in confidence as I get older. I will live life as I see fit for me.`

Clare Benson, ` 44 and loving it`, agreed.`I have an inner confidence in my 40s that I don`t think I had when I was younger,`she said.` It means I have more time to enjoy life, rather than worrying about things that are unimportant.`

Enlightening. And encouraging. And then, mixed in with the `41, 55, 26 and 44` from Karen P, David, Deborah and Trace (really ??!) --and the `43--most of the time` from Mr Access Taxis, a reminder from two people who cherish every year they have.

Rich Smith`s 46. `But I make it look good,` he boasted on Twitter, then suggesting that I should perhaps list him as 20 again. That`s because Rich has clocked up 20 years since, at death`s door, he received the new liver that would save his life and give him the strength to become a British, European and World cycling champion, husband, and doting dad. He`s written a book about his story.

And then Kath got in touch. She`s 52; a former banker and teacher, and mum of two; waiting for a new heart and lungs. And hoping, like Rich, that a transplant will help her notch up a few more candles on the cake.

`When I was first diagnosed with my illness,`she told me,`amongst all the shock some of my first thoughts were that how lucky I was I had got to age 49 and managed to achieve all I had.

`When I was diagnosed, the following year was a rollercoaster until they managed to get me stable.For months I was striving to still be alive for my 50th birthday and hoping things would improve.I was just glad to be alive, but I had been referred to the transplant team, who told me I would probably only have a few good years left if I didn't take the transplant option.

`I had to take ill health retirement and I was lucky to be able to draw my work pensions early, so I suppose now I'm fairly stable. I feel like I'm enjoying my retirement while I wait for my transplant, albeit 15 years earlier than most people, but what does 'age' matter as long as you can still make the most of life?

`Since being ill,` said Kath,` I can only take one day at a time. Old age is too far away for me at the moment and I have too many hurdles in front of me to even think of it. I know my life could change in the next hour or even minutes should I get my transplant call or take a turn for the worse, so at the moment age doesn't matter, just living each day counts.`

Thanks Kath, and Rich, and everyone who gave me their `number` today. See--age does matter. But will I tell you mine? No. Not on your nelly.

http://www.kathstransplantblog.blogspot.com


http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2013/01/daily-chart-3

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ReCycled-Richard-Smith/dp/1781764891



Thankyou! Karen, Diane, Geoff, Ciaran, Hefin, Richard G; Nonny, Julie, `H`, Martin, Michelle, Lisa, Emma, Tim M; Tim P; Dave Burrows ,Shaun C; Chris, Rich, Clare B, Kath, Mike Perry,Karen P; Dave Wright, Deborah Reck, Access Taxi-man, Trace W; Seb, Helen, Ruth, Cheryl, Rich D; Tom.

COMMENTS:

Ironbridge_AAC Nige ‏@IronbridgeAAC26m
@janemcintyre12 Very good again Jane :) BTW HOW old are you? #spillthebeans :)
Lisa Brunton Stocks ‏@harbourhussy 8m
@janemcintyre12 great
to read Jane! Here's to ageing disgracefully;-)))))
Karen Paterson ‏@PatersonKaren27m
@janemcintyre12 Just
don't think about asking for my weight missy!! Great article - loving my 40s so far!
Weekly Blog Club ‏@WeeklyBlogClub
@janemcintyre12 Are
you contributing that great post to #WeeklyBlogClub, Jane? Even though I didn't get as far as admitting my age to you?

Geoff Rodgers ‏@ge0_ff
@janemcintyre12 I got
mentioned in a blog! woo hoo!

Trace J Williams ‏@snowybufton Protected account22m
@janemcintyre12 I loved it when you wrote 'really' !? This is ace xx
Karen Paterson and 4 others retweeted you

Age: More than a number? http://lovemymondays.blogspot.com/2013/06/agemore-than-number.html?spref=tw …
    Karen Paterson David Burrows Trace J Williams  Colin Young Ironbridge_AAC Nige
Nonny
James ‏@nonny_james1m
@janemcintyre12 Good one. As usual!

Nonny James ‏@nonny_james

@janemcintyre12 Age! *You Make Me Feel So Young*. Click on Random and scroll to second story (sadly true) http://nonnyjames.wordpress.com 

Jim Hawkins and 3 others retweeted you
14m:
What a fabulous Monday.Hope yours was too. Thanks if you contributed to, read or RTd my `age` blog. V grateful ;) : http://lovemymondays.blogspot.co.uk 
    Jim Hawkins Mike Perry GBTransplantCyclists shrewsfoodfest
Rich Smith ‏@ReCycledRich5m
Great blog from @janemcintyre12 (34) including your truly (36) and a host of other people who fib about their age :)



Posted by Once a journalist ... at 16:56
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Labels: Age, heart and lung transplant, lying about your age, milestones, Recycled Rich, Rich Smith, Shropshire Star, Twitter

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Once a journalist ...
So what happens after you ask to take the money and run from your award winning career at the BBC? You put your alarm clock in the drawer...keep running, and keep laughing, that`s what! My blog`s about my travels, my work as a voiceover, (previously a TV and film extra) the challenges and special moments that were involved in having a dad with dementia and anything that makes me roar with rage....or laughter.
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