I HAVE become a cranky old man. When you get to my age, old, you notice that more people ask about how you are keeping and what are you doing with yourself. I hear myself saying that I am getting very old and very cranky.

I might even be regressing. I found myself looking up Aldous Huxley a few days ago.

Nowadays, most people would look at you blankly if you mentioned Huxley and his dystopian novel Brave New World. Published way back in 1932, it depicted a technologically advanced society where humans are genetically engineered and society is controlled to maintain stability and superficial happiness. It was popular when I was young.

Looking back to when I was a young fellow, I have an image of myself as fairly mellow, patient and compassionate.

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But the one thing that I found most irritating was to be cornered for half an hour by someone, mostly but........

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