Be that as it may, I also read about an 85 year old who had became the oldest British male to undergo surgery at the age of 81**. That was startling enough, but what Ruth Rose had to say on one point gave me pause for thought:
Rose said she had spent decades learning to think and behave like a woman. ...... If couples walked holding hands, the man's hand was held forwards and the woman's held back".
So I immediately checked whether Mrs H and I hold hands in what is supposedly the 'normal' way. A first I thought we didn't because I took the above to mean the man's hand faces forwards. On reflection, I think it means that the man's hand is at the front (so the back of the man's hand faces forwards). Just as well, as otherwise we might both have to put our names down for gender reassignment. Though at least we wouldn't need to look for new partners. (Mrs H's comment about how the change could be achieved was significantly more ribald than that....)
The other reason it's just as well is that the alternative to surgery would be to practice holding hands the "other" way. We tried this and it's even harder than the Dele Alli goal celebration "salute", which also makes you feel as if you're trying to turn your arm in a way it just doesn't want to go:
For those of you determined to have a go, there are many sites showing you how to do it (e.g. on BBC here ) but it's definitely harder than tying a bow tie.
More seriously though, one does wonder how the NHS can ever meet all the demands put on it if those demands include gender reassignment surgery for people who might be considered a bit old for a hip replacement. I suppose whether you think the world is mad depends more on you than on the world. Because it plainly is.
* Pensioners get tips on changing gender. Sunday Times 12 August 2018
** I became a woman at the age of 81. Sunday Times 12 August 2018
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