Why Rejoice is now my middle name

‘LET me disclose the gifts reserved for age,’ wrote T.S.Eliot in his marvellous, testing, inspiring set of poems called Four Quartets — but sadly continued with a list of negatives enough to make you want to give up.

Older age was nothing but a diminishment of the senses, ‘rage at human folly’, shame about things you did wrong, and so on.

I totally understand the fury at folly (do not get me started on woke lunacy or the state of our universities), but the rest . . .? No, I can happily report that age is not necessarily like that — not if you refuse to give in.

The years swing round quickly and delivered me yesterday to the latest stage of my prime. Knowing me, I may well be feeling a tad bleary when you’re reading this — after celebrating with family and friends.

I also spent a jolly time with some London friends earlier in the week and we all raised a glass to being here, still ready to enjoy life after the grim time all of us have shared. Rejoice is my middle name.

I make few concessions to reaching 75, other than to tone down my home-applied hair colour — having decided I was starting to resemble a carrot past its sell-by date. No longer do I go in for shorter skirts or high heels, but otherwise my style doesn’t change. Why should it?

With the confidence of a woman who’s seen much of life, I challenge ageism in all its forms — but there’s a lot of it about.

For example, a couple of little BBC birds told me that Radio 4 (to name but one) isn’t keen on giving airtime to people like me because they want ‘fresh, young voices’.

But what if we lost all birth certificates and identified age with liveliness, clear sight and wisdom — not numbers? I’d give your box-ticking ‘wokette’ a run for her money with fresh, fearless questioning radicalism.

You want ‘diversity’? How’s about listening to the oldsters who stay forever young?

■ BEL answers readers’ questions on emotional and relationship problems each week. Write to Bel Mooney, Scottish Daily Mail, 20 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6DB, or email bel.mooney@dailymail.co.uk. Names are changed to protect identities. Bel reads all letters but regrets she cannot enter into personal correspondence.