I know this is supposed to be a blog about perfume, and mostly it is, but just occasionally a "secular" snippet appeals to me on account of its superlative bonkersness, and so it is with this recent article in my local paper:INFO SESSION FOR OVER 50s
"Stafford residents over the age of 50 are being invited to join Staffordshire's Older People's Partnership Board for an information session on May 17th.
.....
It will cover learning courses available from the University of the Third Age, computer courses for the over 50s, the benefits of Tai Chi to prevent falls, and Staffordshire's preparations for the London 2012 Olympics."
So many things popped into my head when I read this, as someone who turns 51 next week. Firstly, I am an "Older Person" in the eyes of the authorities, as opposed to an overgrown 20-something who feels she is not long out of New Romantic pantaloons and suede pixie boots. Secondly, I am deemed to be computer illiterate and in need of training. Well, fair play - it took me ages to figure out how to dump photos half way down the text of my posts, and I still haven't cracked hyperlinks. Thirdly, I am prone to falls. That is the bit that really made me sit up.
I felt compelled to read up a bit on Tai Chi, or Tai Chi Chuan as I understand its full name to be. On one website offering tutorials I found the following description:"Tai Chi (Tai Tzi) means 'the great limit'. Tsuan (Chuan) means 'fist'. The fist of the great limit. The 'limit' is a metaphor here - as with many other things in Chinese philosophy, there is no limit, but only our quest for it."
There is no limit? Let alone any great limit? My local council deciding that I am now officially old and tottery sounds remarkably like a limit to me. I am surprised they think such a physical infirm target group would have any interest in the 2012 Olympics - assuming of course that we live long enough to see them.
I found another translation of Tai Chi Chuan as "supreme ultimate fist". I may have to attend one of these meditative martial arts sessions, so I can go into the council offices afterwards and throw a well-aimed punch in their direction for such supremely ageist policies.
But then again, apparently "Tai Chi helps us to gain control over our emotions" so in the act of learning to strike the pose, I might in fact draw in my horns. Not so much a case of:
Step Forwards, Deflect Downwards, Intercept and Punch
But...
Embrace Tiger and Return to Mountain .
So is there absolutely no link to perfume in this post, I hear you ask? Well, I could say that there is a style of Tai Chi called Yang, which made me think not of Ying, but of Ylang. Which is a feeble connection I grant you - but then again, I am over 50 and by definition seriously senescent.
: - )
