My photograph and letter in today's Daily Mail

Verica

In answer to an article last week, I sent a letter to the paper and, a day later, was surprised to have a 'phone call to say they liked the letter and could they send a photographer round at a convenient time for me. A charming freelance photographer came on Saturday morning, had coffee and cake with us, then took about 30 - 40 photos and today, 22/3/2010, I am staring out of the letters page. I didn't know I looked that old, but other people say it's a good photo.

Wordy

Congratulations, Verica. What was the subject of your letter by the way?

dorothyd

well done you!

Jay Mandal

Congratulations!

casey

I get the Daily Mail. Good to see something cherful and positive in it for a change. Well done.
P.S - You don't look old.

KJ

Well done Verica

littlewanda

Congratulations!

SusieM

Congratulations - read this to late to go get the paper though

Nefertari

Well done. I've asked my mum to keep todays copy as I didn't buy one. I tend to read it online now, but letters aren't on there are they.

flyingtart

Good letter, Verica! And you look lovely. Congratulations! :)

St Force

Well done!

Verica

Wordy, the subject was denying the opinion which, according to the article last Wednesday most people held, that old age began at 58. I believe that 58 is, more or less, half way through middle age and, two weeks ago when I was 80, my old age began. I still had so much to accomplish, I hope, before I leave this world. "Age is just a number; it's how you feel in your mind and your soul that determines whether you're young, middle-aged or old. It doesn't even depend on your physical well being." I don't want to bore everyone with the rest of it, but when I had a massive stroke at 48, I never thought I'd survive for many years, but I have been so very lucky to have survived quite a few times in my life and I thank God and my family and friends for it.

Thank you everybody!

Liz

Hey, that is fantastic Verica. I'm very glad you did survive.

ceka

TB the richer for your survival!

Rosalie

Sounds like a great letter, Verica. I'm with you all the way!

Carol

Well done Verica.

Wordy

Thank you for enlightening us, Verica. I couldn't agree more with your sentiments. Met up with friends not seen for over twenty five years at the weekend and none of us felt anywhere near being out of middle age and judging by the various trips and activities we all have planned for the foreseeable future I think even your estimate of 80 as being only the very start of things. Good luck with all you have planned for yourself.

Verica

Thank you, Ceka! (I sent this whisper to Liz, but it states to Ceka - I never seem to get whispers right, even now that Dorothy told me how to do it.)

Verica

Thank you, Carol!

Verica

Thank you, Wordy! It is good to meet up with real friends, for it doesn't matter how long the interval between meetings, it always seems as if one has seen them recently. I often meet schoolfriends, who live in Australia, New Zealand or Canada and, after many years, we're as close as ever.

Stan2

Well done!

Amanda

age is completely irrelevant. my mother in law is 73 years old and she has been 73 years old since she was 45! I've known her along time now and she has allways acted old 'creeping around' and 'going gingerly', she has allways dressed like she was mid 70's! Her old age started around 30 i think! She is a polar opposite to her sister in law who's bright red lipstick and infectious laugh keeps us all entertained! At 75 she is a real marval and has only just left her dinnerlady job after 50 years of service. She still cleans for 2 'old' ladies (who are both younger than her but she wont tell them!). so far she is nowhere near old age!

Verica your a real trooper and alot of people would have taken a stroke as the signal of the end of their life. You took yours as the beginning. There should be more like you. Well done xx

doodle

Well done Verica, I agree with Amanda that age is something that doesn't weigh the same on everyone. You are a brilliant advert for being eighty - I wish you a very long, happy and fulfilling 'old' age.

Lolli

Oh, I am Soooooooooooooooo miffed that I didn't log in yesterday! Congratulations on your success, Verica. Any chance of posting your letter (and photo) on here for those of us who didn't get the paper?

forget-me-not

Well done Verica!

Verica

Thank you again everybody. Lolli, I can post the letter here, but would rather not post the photo. If you send me your email address, I'll send a photocopy to you.

After all the excitement yesterday, I feel ill today with a very bad almost continuous cough, which stopped me sleeping throughout the night. I've never had bronchitis before, but am sure this is it.

Viv

I finally got to see the letter and photo last night. I had no idea you were 80 Verica - you always seem so young at heart when we hear from you on talkback. I had imagined you being about 55 or 60. I agree entirely with your sentiments. As I am not far off being 58, it was quite depressing to know that people regarded that as the start of old age! You have made it very clear that perhaps there is no such thing as old age any more - just old attitude in some people!

Mabh

I think we need some in-between 'ages'. I can sort of see middle age stopping at 58, but there's NO way that that's the start of 'old age'. We need a new term for 59-80!

I often think about a comment I read about a lady of 100, who said that she wished she'd started to learn the violin at 40, because then she'd have been playing it for 60 years. A lesson to us all that it's never too late to start something.

Lolli

Hope your cough improves soon Verica. I agree Mabh. I think 58-80 are PRIME-agers!!!!

PS. Verica, are you sure the cough isn't asthma, brought on by the excitement? It does happen like that sometimes.

Carol

There are still a lot of upper respiritory bugs around that cause nasty coughs.

B Darter

I only read yesterday's paper today I have been so busy! You look good in the picture Verica. I considered my fifties to be some of the best years I've had. Two weeks ago I was seventy. I feel fine, yes I have a few aches and pains and creak a bit but I managed to get to the top of Smeaton's Tower (97 steps) a couple of weeks ago, when I told a fifty something friend she said 'you must be mad.'

Lolli

Well Done, BD. I've been up the top of there. Hope I can still manage it when I am 70!

Kangaroo

Well done to Verica and BD!

LeeH

Congrats!! Laminat it so it doesn't fade, that's something to keep.

Daisy

Congratulations, Verica. Great letter. The photo is lovely.

BD, you climb as many steps as you want for as long as you want and are able to.

B Darter

Thanks Daisy, I'll keep making the effort.