Many friends have sold their houses and moved into small apartments in retirement villages – it’s both fashionable and expensive.

         Downsizing has advantages but many of our house objects bring back happy memories. They are usually given away to a charity shop or they go to the dump.

         During our lifetime we tend to accumulate a great deal of useless stuff. Many items were gifts from friends and family or were presented to us for special events. They mean something to us but not to anyone else.

         Even though our family is not interested in many of our treasured items – it’s hard to downsize.

         I now realize I have been sharing some of my memories with you in my blogs. We are all unique with our own set of memories. Some fade with time others you remember with embarrassment until the bitter end.

         One evening I was asked to give a talk at a meeting of the Rahotu Federated Farmers. The business dragged on, it was hot and getting late. Most of the farmers had had a hard day of haymaking and were very sleepy.

         I thought I would try the informal approach. I removed my jacket and came forward to squat on the chairman’s table. I didn’t know it was a trestle table with a sheet over it. There was a crash as I rolled off the stage with bits of the table. The farmers woke up. They roared with laughter and I had their attention. It’s not a technique I would recommend. It’s a bit too painful but it did the trick. These are the sort of events you remember as you age.

         You often wonder what would have happened if you had taken another career option or married one of your other girlfriends. How different life would have been?

         At one stage the New Zealand Government put my name forward for the position of Director of the Commonwealth Agriculture Bureau in Reading England. I let my name go forward as I would have liked a trip to the U.K if I was called for an interview. But that didn’t happen as I suspected they had a candidate lined up.

         I can think of at least half a dozen career offers I declined. The most senior one was the World Bank / FAO job in Bangladesh.

         I have no regrets I have had a great life, a great wife, and an ideal family.

         We all have memories that time does not erase – that never fade. Nobody can steal them from you – they will last a lifetime.

         For the good of your family record them and share the lessons learned.

Geoffrey Moss (mossassociates.co.nz)