‘She had a wealth of life experience to offer me’
Sammi, 38, and Jean, 67. AGE GAP: 29 YEARS
Sammi Gloster, 38, lives in Battle and has been friends with Jean, 67, for the last 12 years.
Nervously glancing around the room at my local sports centre, I started to wonder what the hell I’d let myself in for. It was January 2010, and I’d signed up for a line dancing class in a bid to keep fit. But at 26 years old, I was the youngest in the class by a long way.
‘I’m here now,’ I thought as the country music blasted out. ‘May as well give it a try.’ And to my surprise, it was actually great fun. And while I may have been a lot younger than the other ladies in the class, I could barely keep up with them!
Over the next few weeks, I’d grab a coffee with a few of the group after the class had finished. ‘Would you like
to do another dance class with me?’ one lady asked. Her name was Jean, then 55. She was hardly ancient but she was a few years older than my mum and considerably older than any of my other friends. Still, I didn’t hesitate – she was such a character, so young at heart, with a twinkle in her eye – but I did nearly spit out my coffee when she suggested pole dancing!
It was the beginning of a wonderful friendship. Jean had lost her husband to lung cancer two years earlier, and I was single, so we spent a lot of our time together. At least once a week we’d meet for a coffee, or we’d go to the theatre or to the races together. Jean’s attitude to life was, if you can’t do it now, when can you do it, and she had so much fun at our pole-dancing classes and, on nights out, she’d be the one dragging me up onto the dance floor!
My parents had moved to Portugal in 2005, and over the years, like all of my friends, Jean has always been there offering me help and support. Now, we’re still very close and still meet for coffee every now and then.
I often run things by her if I need advice, and her age has meant she has a wealth of life experience to offer me. I help her out, too. Being younger, I’m more tech savvy, so she always asks me if she’s got a problem with her mobile phone or tablet. I’d class Jean as one of my best friends. Her age is irrelevant. She’s an inspiration, and my life is so much richer with her in it.