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Talkback is a
regular feature in laterlife.com run by
journalist and author Helen Franks.
Welcome to talkback 84
Read Helen's views and ideas, then add
your own by emailing her on helen@laterlife.com.
Whatever your opinion on the subject under
discussion, Helen wants to hear it.
If you would like to suggest future
topics for talkback, please email Helen with
the details. And remember you can also start your own
forum discussion thread by visiting the laterlife cafe
Grumble, grumble, grumble
Heard the one about the older couple queuing up to enrol
in classes? When they got to the application desk, the class
of their choice was full. The subject? How to open packets,
cartons, jars, etc.
We (husband and I that is) are confounded by the problem
of opening and closing the items when we bring home the
shopping. It’s a problem that becomes worse and worse as we get
older. We have difficulty with Cellophane wrappers, plastic
discs on cartons, and we still haven’t fathomed how to open or
close those packs of prunes and figs that we buy from Waitrose.
Why can’t they make opening and closing things simple?
I opened a pack today that had transparent plastic round it, a
lid that refused to budge, and then, when I had conquered that,
there was a disc of cardboard over the top and, to add insult to
injury, cotton wool inside the lid. I know that security is
paramount and the idea is that items – particularly food - must
not be tampered with, but there comes a point when convenience
ought to be the priority.
I also object to those tiny labels stuck on individual
fruits, that are so difficult to remove, especially when you
have washed them. And items that come in the post wrapped in
plastic create a challenge that I tackle with scissors, though
it’s hit and miss whether they emerge intact.
Also, while I am in a grumbling mood, there are the public
announcements that are always made when the train is either
arriving or departing. We can never hear them, and have to make
a guess at the message. Why do they do it at that precise
moment? Is it sheer bad timing or ageist persecution?
And fashion! The currently fashionable clothes are either
too short, too long, too sleeveless, too tight or reveal too
much cleavage. Shoes are too high-heeled or too flat. The only
bonus is the loose-fitting tunic top, which disguises waist and
unsightly bulges but can make you look pregnant.
I have done with the grumbles, but if you have any to add
I would would very much like to receive them.
Email me at
helen@laterlife.com .
Helen would still like to hear your views
Don`t forget to take a look at Helen`s
healthwise column
too
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