Peter Leith is 89 and describes himself as “half-deaf and half-blind”. But he has never been one to waste a minute and is writing a series of true short stories called Aspects of Ageing.
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As a boy, I dreamt of dying while performing some heroic deed of self-sacrifice. Not in warfare. Never in warfare, but, for example, saving a child from drowning or an old lady from being run over by an oncoming tram.
Now, at the age 89 (and a half), I am still waiting for my big opportunity to die a heroic death.
The trouble is that arthritis, reduced vision and hearing loss mean that I am much more likely to push the old lady under an oncoming train by mistake.
Sadly, it seems probable that I will not die a heroic death, but will exit with a whimper.
Do you have a story or an observation for Peter? Send it to [email protected] and put ‘Sunday’ in the subject line.
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