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#865 Jackie Griffiths Growing Old Disgracefully

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Jackie Griffiths

One of the positi​​ve things about getting older is that when you get a pension it’s a real form of security. You get it every week so you can rely on it and you can work out how you're​ going to ​budget with the money that you’re getting. And also there’s lots and lots of groups if you can find them​. ​Years ago I started painting a lot. I went to In​k​well on Potternewton Lane and now I have about 50 paintings.. I don’t know what to do with them really. But that was lovely and of course dancing is one that I’ve picked up again.. and that is with Company of People from Yorkshire Dance.

The negative side is that some of the people that you already know have already died​ which is ​very sad. I did lose a friend recently and that had a profound effect on me​, it's ​a bereavement. I lost my auntie who died when she was 99 so I was lucky enough to have her for a very long time. She was very saintly an absolutely lovely gorgeous woman.that had a big effect on me

My friend ​Smita and ​I have decided that we are going to grow old disgracefully. And that means that both of us like ​dyeing our ​hair​ -​ ​one of us is ​blonde​, I like ​brown hair like I was born with ​-​ i’m going to keep it brown for now but who knows I might choose a different colour ​in the ​future. If I go completely grey I might decide to go blue or pink.

Precis

As an older person, receiving a pension provides a sense of security and enables budgeting, and getting involved in activities like painting and dancing through groups like Inkwell and Company of People from Yorkshire dance can be enjoyable; however, losing friends and loved ones can have a profound effect, but one can choose to grow old disgracefully by dying their hair different colours.