I think it’s very simple, I really do. It’s what all the research says, keep active mentally, physically and keep interested, find things to be interested in that you’re really interested in to keep pursuing. For men in particular it’s look outside of your job to give you a reason for living. I always have, I’ve always had interests outside the job that I’ve been engaged in and that’s really important particularly for men. I think women are more fortunate in that, still in most cases, they’ve had a much more varied life. They’ve been mothers, most of them have stayed at home at least for a while, they tend to get more involved in their kid’s activities on committees and stuff. Just by nature of the life they’ve lived they’ve had a more varied life than a lot of men and I think that really is important for men to look outside their work for interests and activities and for things to do and be actively engaged in. My advice would be seek something that’s creative and involving and keeps you engaged mentally and physically.

It’s difficult if you retire and I know plenty of blokes who’ve just stopped work, they’ve gone on their around Australia trip or whatever it is and then come back and think “What now?” They haven’t really thought about it and their spouses who get sick and tired of them being at home doing nothing. It can be anything, it doesn’t matter what it is it can be woodworking, whatever takes your fancy, playing golf. I know guys who play golf three times a week, that would just drive me up the wall but they love it and that’s what they do and that’s their thing, that’s great it can be anything. I also think doing something more mentally engaging is important and that’s why a lot of artistic people like writers and painters and musos and so on go on into their 80s and 90s still doing those sorts of things because it’s those creative things that engage your mind. With something like golf it’s great physically and getting your handicap down or whatever you do with golf but it’s good to have other things that make you think about things is really really important.

The thing is you have to have some interests and I took up painting and I did the painting in Melbourne and I got quite interested in that but up here I did not restart that and there were other interests. Coming here [to Darwin] was something different again of course but I had the interest in painting; that was good. Had I stayed in Melbourne probably I would still be painting but then if you get other interests like reading of course but get into a musical instrument, learn to play some musical instrument because that’s beneficial for your old age too.

Yes, you need to, it doesn’t matter what age you are, and like I said, with our Living Longer, Living Stronger program, we have people up to their nineties doing it, so everybody needs to be out doing some sort of activity, whether it’s walking, even if you do your thirty minutes of walking a day, that’s a help, but you need to be doing other things. I mean, it depends on what you’re interested in. Maybe it’s playing bingo, or in Western Australia, we do have walking clubs, so you could go and join a walking club. I know I’ve heard of a Scrabble club. I mean, I didn’t realise that that existed, but it does. There’s a book that you can get through the Seniors’ Recreation Council, I think it’s through, and there’s a book and it gives you information on the things that are in Western Australia that you could go and join. So you need to be doing something active so that you’re using your brain. Don’t sit at home, because that’s just no good, so there are other hobbies and interests that you can find through either your shire or town council or somebody. They would all have information or be able to pass you on to someone who would be able to give you the information on where to go and do these activities.

Probably find somebody older than yourself and make friends with them.

Why?

Oh it makes you feel better I suppose, but I drink with this bloke who’s 90 years old, he’s down the pub every night, it just makes me feel – there is a saying old is somebody 15 years older than me. Yeah I would say a good policy is to mix with your own age group, you know don’t go trying to knock around with a bunch of young blokes. We have a regular session on Friday nights, the same group get down the pub Thursday nights as well when I’m free. They’re all – I think they’re all over 65, but we’ve got things in common, we can sing the old songs and we know the same things, the same era. But if you start getting in with young people and they start talking about modern music and that, you’re lost. Then you’ll feel left out, but with your own mob you’re part of it, part of them, they’re your mates.

Charles: People in our age group, you can only do the best you can with the health that you’ve got and you’ve got to make the best of it all along and do what you want to do for as long as you can. Sometimes it’ll get to–some affliction, you will be forced to stop doing what you’re doing but you don’t throw up your arms and just say “Well, sorry that’s the end of the world.” and go into your shell or go and take poison or something like that. You’ve got to keep going, you’ve got to try and spread your interests around, once you stop doing that, well, you stagnate so –

Lois: Oh, well that’s true, yes that’s very true.