I saw this BBC News article today and I do like Billy Connolly. I enjoy much about his views on life, as a comedian and still as a person who now finds himself nearer the wrong end of the telescope, as he puts it.
I think the main thing that resounded with me (and I thought of value sharing here) was the idea of volunteering to take life seriously, or on the contrary to just have the best go at it as we can. Sir Billy is in his mid seventies but has Parkinson’s Disease.
I have elderly relatives equally at the wrong end of the telescope who I would love to be able encourage to look upon the challenges of very late life in this way. I like his positive approach to adversity and would like to be as positive myself in later life (and before that!)
One of the things Billy talked about (when discussing poetry and writing songs) was that not all poetry or songwriting (and I would say humour or views of life) should be about falling in love or breaking up… it would all be just too tiring.
I liked the song about the wellies which may be understood by no-one outside Britain. A typical celebration of enjoying the rather “normal”, otherwise humdrum, things of life! Wellies were just as much a necessity of my seaside holidays as of Billy’s!
I commend enjoyment of the basic provisions of life, warmth, shelter, food and people you love. Good health is supposed to be on the list but WTH.