You know you're getting old when...

"...You develop a knack for wearing hats..."

I can remember, when I was a lot younger, my mother saying to me "that you know you're getting old when policemen look like they're just out of shorts." Now, quite obviously, I never thought that this would ever be the case for me as I was still in shorts myself, but lately I have found myself exhibiting signs of OMS, better known as Old Man Syndrome.

This can manifest itself in a variety of ways; deafness or as my father calls it "selective hearing".  The fact that my glasses need changing more often than the oil in the car.  Talking back to the television.  I know I am not alone in this one but I have found myself arguing with the Today team in the mornings before coming in to work.  One of the more bizarre manifestations of OMS that I have been made aware of is a habit of leaning back in a chair while at a meeting and gently pulling my eyebrows.  I have no idea where this came from however I think there must be some sort of genetic switch that activates in men of a certain age and has them begin doing this.  After all, you don't really think that old men get big bushy eyebrows just through letting them grow, do you?

The real question is whether I am bothered by these progressive symptoms of OMS and the honest answer is "Not really, No".  I have always liked wearing hats.  Probably because I started saying goodbye to my hair when I was 22.  The only difference between then and now is that the overnight mass extinctions have petered off into single random follicle deaths investigated by none save the washing machine.  I have always lost my keys even though they have been right in front of me and pubs have been letting me in to drink since I was 13..."Shorts, Sir?  Must be cold running in this weather.  Another glass of whisky?" 

I am very happy to be me.  I get to be who I want to be.  After all, it has taken me all of my life to become who I now am and I am comfortable with that.   If there's a little eyebrow pulling and television arguing along the way, so be it.  Mannerisms are individual and infinite, they make us who we are and, to my mind, add a little flavour to our characters.

When managing change in organisations, we need to be acutely aware of the mannerisms and foibles of the organisations in which we are seeking to implement that change.  Just because they exhibit certain characteristics, it does not necessarily define how that organisation will react to the changes being proposed.  We need to immerse ourselves and understand how an organisation acts and reacts, how it, for want of a better word, breathes, before we plan and implement a change.

All the best

Jim

p.s. Try this link for more growing older jokes...