Hello, I’m Rachel McAlpine, I’m 84 and I’m learning how to be old. I want to say a few words about this podcast. It was sound asleep for a couple of years. Now I am reviving it, with a new mission!

This podcast is a friendly guide to the pleasures, perils, and possibilities of your future old age.

It seems to be humanly impossible to imagine ourselves much older than we are. In fact, we all tend to think of ourselves as YOUNGER than we are, a lot younger. Our Dad was absolutely typical when he said, in his 80s, No, he didn’t want to go to a retirement home because they were full of old people. He wasn’t one of THEM.

But sooner or later, if you’re lucky, you’re going to become that peculiar creature,an older person. Even, an old person. You will be one of THEM.

Look, the alternative to being old is being dead. You know that, don’t you? And yes old age is weird. It's not what you signed up for. But you will discover that being old is mostly, most of the time, for most of us, heaps better than being dead.

So why not be really alive? Why not make the most of this great gift?

When you start to suspect that you will be old one day, this podcast will keep you company. We will soften the blow. We will be friendly. We will share tips and tricks and insights.

Just try it, listen to a few episodes. It takes a while to warm up to a new podcast.

Hit the SUBSCRIBE or FOLLOW button now so that you don’t lose track of us, and take it easy. (Don't worry, it's just as easy to opt out.) Some terrific guests are lined up ready to join us. They'll help you to get used to the idea of being old, and to flourish well into the third act — or fourth or fifth act — of your life.

A word of warning: I’m inclined to get a bit earnest. On the other hand, I giggle a lot. You have been warned.

We're all learning how to be old, and knowledge is power. Anyway, that’s the plan. Welcome aboard!

• Why I have given new life to my old podcast
• 53% Of U.S. Adults Don’t Fear Growing Old—Study Finds People Actually Fear Less As They Age (Forbes Health, 10 Jan 2024)
• Fear of ageing is really fear of the unknown (The Conversation, 1 Feb 2024, Chao Fang and Alastair Comery)

We're all learning how to be old and old people are walking books of knowledge (Image: public domain, Wikimedia)