Gifts and Growing.

I met Mel for coffee in Derby today and was given my first Christmas present. It’s an appointments calendar illustrated with Japanese woodcuts accompanied by haikus. I expect it will be my only Christmas present, and the one I gave her is likely to be the only one I’ll give. Fortunately, I dislike spending money.

She also gave me a birthday card and present, since it’s my birthday next week. I’ve got to that point where I don’t want to stop having birthdays, but I do wish the numbers would start going backwards.

And I was saying to her that I’ve developed a certain respect for today’s young people – in general terms, of course. My generation mostly did what it was told and followed the Establishment leader (and most of them still do) whereas today’s generation of teens and twenties are more inclined to think for themselves. So although the question of standards sometimes gives cause for concern, I think they’re more mature than we were and have better values.

This is the first time I’ve been magnanimous in years. Must be getting old.