For older people there are moments when the ground shifts under your feet, equilibrium is suspended and incipient panic takes over. We don\u2019t have that many securities left and when the wobblies happen, it feels that you are in danger of losing even them\u2026<\/p>\n
Losing face, perhaps. That shouldn\u2019t matter I suppose but in the company of the strong it\u2019s no fun to suddenly feel that you have made a fool of yourself by saying the wrong thing or by pretending to a knowledge that you haven\u2019t got and being found out\u2026<\/p>\n
Or losing control of a situation, watching a conversation that you initiated or structured falling to pieces as people move away or find it hard to hide their boredom, or even marginalise you as they change the subject. It shouldn\u2019t matter, and we should take it as it comes (or goes), but somehow as you get older it\u2019s harder to cope with\u2026 <\/p>\n
Or even losing control of yourself \u2013 that tetchiness we\u2019ve already identified as some people\u2019s problem, and you get really angry over something that may not matter that much\u2026<\/p>\n
Or losing touch, as you find yourself in a group talking about things way beyond your comprehension. Do you admit to ignorance? \u2013 \u2018I have no idea what you are talking about\u2019 \u2013 or do you smile in an intelligent way and leave others to do the talking, hoping that the subject will change very soon\u2026?<\/p>\n
And than, losing out – literally, by not being invited to an event which you thought was very much your scene, or emotionally by not being consulted about some occasion of which you are expected to be a passive part, but in which you haven\u2019t been involved at the planning stage\u2026<\/p>\n
What to do about the wobblies? Not to mind them too much. Accepting situations you can\u2019t change. Trying to get back to where you were. Picking yourself up and comforting yourself- you\u2019ll manage better next time. And then remembering what an extraordinarily bright person you once were \u2013 or thought you were! <\/p>\n
Bryan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For older people there are moments when the ground shifts under your feet, equilibrium is suspended and incipient panic takes over. We don\u2019t have that many securities left and when the wobblies happen, it feels that you are in danger of losing even them\u2026 Losing face, perhaps. That shouldn\u2019t matter I suppose but in the company of the strong it\u2019s no fun to suddenly feel that you have made a fool of yourself by saying the wrong thing or by pretending to a knowledge that you haven\u2019t got and being found out\u2026 Or losing control of a situation, watching a <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"yoast_head":"\n