IN LOVE WITH LEARNING

One of my favourite things about receiving a new issue of Scottish Field each month is reading the latest musings of the wonderful Alexander McCall Smith.

His way with words is like a delicate dance, gently leading you in with the first sentence or two of his column before you find your feet and settle into the comfortable rhythm of the paragraphs that follow and finally finishing with a flourish, the lexical equivalent of a smooth dip at the end of a ballroom number.

December's column was no exception and I smiled to myself as I read of all the examinations he has sat in later life in an attempt to keep his mind sharp and skills varied. That whole 'old dog new tricks' nonsense is something we should never accept, there's always time and opportunity to discover new talents and passions you've never considered before. Especially if, like myself, you are retired but still enjoy the buzz of business, this time doing the things you choose to do. While I haven't sat anymore exams (yet), reading Alexander McCall Smith's words has certainly given me something to think on as we begin a brand new year. Oh the possibilities!

Agatha Millcross, Inverness