I’m not a dooms-monger as such but, let’s be perfectly honest, I’ve been smoking since I was 11 (and smoking about 30 per day since I was about 25); I drink (not necessarily excessively but several times a week); I don’t exercise (strolling out with the dogs is hardly strenuous exercise) and I don’t watch what I eat (including sugar, fats, red meat, etc. – all my favourite things are bad for you).

OK so I don’t slouch in front of the TV every night but I do sit a lot, including in front of the computer.

So, to me, it’s quite reasonable to assume that, in the nicest possible way, living to, say, 100 is unlikely.

And so I’ve been trying to sort out my pension. Given all sorts of circumstances, including the likelihood that I may not actually reach retirement age, means I should think about the pot of money that is mine but, should I die, almost disappears if I leave things as they are.

I would like F to get it. And it’s not nothing (to my great surprise). So, I’ve been trying to get it moved from the UK.

However, during this attempt, I was asked to fill in an online form to give an indication (not a guarantee, of course) of the age to which I could expect to live. You answer all sorts of questions and then, at the end, they suggest an age that you may get to.

I was quite shocked when it came back to mid-seventies!

More or less, that’s another 20 years!

Of course, I could get run over by a bus tomorrow (although I would prefer if it didn’t happen) and it doesn’t say that I will be quite healthy until I’m in my seventies.

But, still, it would make you think – if only I could see that far ahead. I’m not really good a projecting into the future. I’m more of a “right now” person.

So, whereas it brings a smile to my face (also an amount of smug satisfaction), it will soon be forgotten.

But I might, after all, become really old!