A pocket full of wisdom, and taking snooker as my cue

Like many folk I guess, I watched this year’s Snooker World Championship games with huge enjoyment. My favourite snooker player of all time, Ronnie O’Sullivan went out fairly early on in that competition, but I enjoyed watching him play while he did. He is a real crowd pleaser, always drawing packed audiences wherever and whenever he plays. No sooner was the World Championship over than Ronnie was back on our screens, playing once more at the famous Crucible venue.

Aged 50, this is the first time he is taking part in the World’s Seniors Championship tournament, which has been running all last week. As I write this Ronnie is struggling, and appears to have lost his mojo a little. That said, he is in the final later today! Whilst many of snooker’s greats are taking part, actually any professional player aged 40 or over can participate. There was a slight divergence of opinion in our house on discovering the competition was on TV. Whilst Jane observed that ‘Seniors’ implied it was an old man’s competition, I thought of it being a competition of skilled players, as in the dictionary definition of someone who has the training and experience to do something well, usually better than others – think consultant doctors versus resident doctors for example.

Consultants are regarded as senior doctors, whereas resident doctors, until recently were referred to as junior doctors. Arguably, both possess knowledge, have or are acquiring skills and experience. It is the specialist knowledge and how to use this, that sets both groups apart. What I would call wisdom. The recent bouts of industrial action on the part of resident doctors provided a good example of this. Many services managed well, and in some areas, better than normal.

It is thought this might be because consultants (who stepped into the space left by absent resident doctors) are much less risk adverse, do fewer tests and investigations and can see and treat people faster, more safely, and with greater confidence. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr. ‘knowledge is a process of piling up facts, wisdom lies in their simplification’. These days, most doctors who become consultants do so in their mid-thirties and 40 is the average age overall for doctors to become consultants. However, only 25% of all doctors in training become a consultant.

When a doctor becomes a consultant, is of course, dependent upon many factors, such as their chosen speciality, employment opportunities, work/life choices and so on. But clearly, age isn’t necessarily one of these factors. However, age can be for other changes to our lives. As I have grown older, my hair line has receded and what remains has turned almost grey (I think white), I have wrinkles where there were none before, and I can go upstairs for something and then not remember what I came up for. I’m nowhere near as strong as I once was, both physically, and in some situations, confidence wise too.  

For example, I once worked with a senior clinical psychologist called Clive. He taught me how to climb, and he helped me nurture my love of rock climbing. At my peak (sorry), I was taking on extreme routes and even free climbing (no ropes). I practised on indoor climbing walls three or four times a week and went out with Clive, whenever he was free. I learnt a lot from him and in so doing, learnt a lot about myself. Over the years, age began to catch up with me. Creeping arthritis in my hands began to make me doubt my ability to rely upon them. Although good climbing is more about legs, feet and balance than just holding on with your hands, feeling confident about using every part of your body is important. I guess that is where wisdom kicks in.

Despite my skill, knowledge and years of experience of rock climbing, the gradual erosion of my confidence and my physical prowess, the wise thing to do was to stop climbing. So eventually, I did. These days I walk, although I have dusted off my snooker cue and have enjoyed a few friendly games. Truth is, like Ronnie, I’m struggling, but at least I’m safe. However, the month of May is a great month in our family. Jane celebrates her birthday as does one of my children, and a young grandson celebrates his birthday too.

May is also my birthday, so even if I can’t climb Malham Cove any more, or score a maximum 147 when I play snooker, I have to say right now, life is good, and bring on whatever the next adventures might be.