What is real wealth?
The love of family and friends, books and music, and the companionship of an elderly dog and a lithe Burmese cat.
Ursula Nixon, Bodalla, NSW, Australia
• The time remaining to us.
Nicholas Albrecht, Paris, France
• It is not knowing how much money you would have saved or made if you had been wiser.
Amy Gibson, London, UK
• Prosperity and wellbeing.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia
• It becomes real when you have more than you can ever imagine.
Sunil Bajaria, Bromley, UK
• Just replace the “w” with an “h” and you’ll have your answer.
Terence Rowell, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Christopher Robin’s award
Who would be your candidate if there were a Nobel prize for being noble?
Walt Whitman.
Richard Orlando, Westmount, Quebec, Canada
• Lady Jane Wilde (1821-1896), the Irish humanist and scholar who is notable for her intellect and wit, as a poet, and campaigner for women’s rights.
David Tucker, Halle, Germany
• Well, there is a Nobel peace prize and look how well that’s turned out! Therefore, I nominate Christopher Robin of the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. He is cheerful, compassionate and helpful, among other fine qualities. He deserves it.
David Tulanian, Los Angeles, California, US
• It is impossible to nominate anyone, since everyone has some form of axe to grind within a particular sphere of activity.
Philip Stigger, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Hourglass to alarm clock
At what point do you know you are middle-aged?
In my case, it was when teenagers with whom I was not acquainted, began to address me as “Sir”.
Anthony Walter, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
• When you realise that you have grown as up as you ever will be.
Daan Zwick, Rochester, New York, US
• I reached that point the other day. I turned 70.
Nye John, Blenheim, New Zealand
• When you find yourself attending funerals more often.
Kees van Aert, Hilvarenbeek, The Netherlands
• You know you’ve reached middle age when you listen more and speak less.
Eugene Novogrodsky, Brownsville, Texas, US
• When the idea of staying home in the evening becomes far more attractive than going out on the town.
Joan Dawson, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
• You know you have reached middle age when your profile in the looking glass is no longer an hourglass but is rather an alarm clock.
Mac Bradden, Port Hope, Ontario, Canada
Very smart to act so dumb
Why can’t old dogs learn new tricks?
During the past 50 years I have owned a succession of four terriers, currently a lovely female Lakeland. The smart ones never learned new tricks in their old age. Being smart, they had learned to act dumb and just wait for me to get frustrated and give up.
Reiner Jaakson, Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Any answers?
Where is the best example of a functioning democracy, and why?
Gerald Garnett, Kaslo, British Columbia, Canada
‘Be prepared’. Should we be?
E Slack, L’Isle Jourdain, France
Send answers to weekly.nandq@theguardian.com or Guardian Weekly, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU, UK
