Your article on people who changed course in midlife (A stunning second act!, 26 August) shows that one is (almost) never too old to learn new tricks, although I would put a limit at, say, 70.
When I lost my medical flying category in the RAF at the age of 44 (I was a Vulcan pilot for some 20 years), I struggled to know what to do. I tried university, but the youngsters there got the best of me and I quit after a term. Then my wife got involved in politics and I ended up as her agent in the 1983 general election. We had to buy a computer to do the listing and mailings required for the election, after which (she came a good second) my curiosity led me to start to investigate what the machine could do. Out of cheek, after learning the fundamentals of WordStar and SuperCalc, I applied for a job at a local information technology centre. I was accepted, and before long I ran one of the branches. I then became head of information technology for a small local authority, retiring in 1999. I then went to France and built our own house at the age of 63.
Keeping mentally fit, I think, is the most important thing. I am 83 now and in the process of publishing my second book. Why not!
John LeBrun
Lincoln
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