Age is but a number and I'll play at being young

The only trouble is that by the time I got out of the car five minutes later, creaking only like a real golden oldie, I couldn't remember the exact context.

But gladly, I do remember a quote of the same sentiment which goes: "We don't stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing."

It came from the great George Bernard Shaw.

A modern idiom if not nearly so poetic, is the brief advice to 'use it or lose it'.

But that's right as well.

For instance I had a new hip this year and despite the eye-watering pain of early post-op attempts, the cheerful warnings from the professionals were there – do the physio now, or that leg will never be the same again.

Similarly, we are nursing our old dog who had a stroke during the summer, a fortnight after her lovely sister died. She has had several mini attacks and little falls since but while she is bright-eyed, waggy tailed, can still stagger on to her feet, eat, go outside and parade a bit, our vet says that is a quality of life.

But it wouldn't be if we didn't encourage and help her to do all those things, which of course we do.

So how does that all relate to George Bernard's original observation?

Well it makes sense that physically and mentally, people and animals need to keep the old machine at least ticking over if it is ever to continue running.

For instance I can't play tennis any longer (so says the surgeon) but I'm hoping to take up wheelchair tennis, played so brilliantly by my friend Val who broke her neck in a horse riding accident and who now plays at top level.

Keep doing what you can while you can – crosswords, writing, digging, laughing, abseiling (if you must), getting out, talking and listening to people and being right there in the thick of it all.

Because when we all stop playing, we will grow old.