‘Making up for lost time’
Six years ago, Angela Dennett felt like a prisoner in her own home. Despite a
debilitating back condition she was on full-time duty caring for her husband, who
suffered from Altzheimer’s disease. When he died, she found herself with time on
her hands, looking for something to get her out of the house.
As a young woman she would have liked a career in academia. She had a passion-
ate interest in Ancient Egypt, but lacked confidence and grew up thinking it was
beyond her. She ended up in a mind numbing office job.
One day Angela picked up a leaflet about the University of the Third Age (U3A),
which provided educational and social activities for the over 50s. One of the
courses was Creating Confidence. With trepidation she enrolled and diligently
applied what she learned. Soon after the Membership Secretary’s job became
vacant, and she put herself forward. A few months later, she was elected
Chairman. ‘At first I was terrified,’ she said. ‘It takes a lot of confidence to control
committee meetings, but I soon learned.’
It was then that her interest in Egyptology came to the fore. ‘After my husband
died, I was able to study it properly. I enrolled for a degree course with the Open
University, then I took the plunge and started teaching – l wouldn’t have had the
confidence before. I gained a teaching certificate and am now a qualified adult
education tutor.’
She regularly went to London to attend talks by the leading authorities. ‘One day I
thought, why should I have to travel all this way, so I started the Wessex Ancient
Egypt Society. Now the experts come to us.’
Recently a dream came true when Angela was invited to visit Egypt. ‘I’d never flown
before because I was too scared, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me, I used the
techniques I’d learned on the confidence course – positive thinking, relaxation,
visualisation and small steps to conquer my phobia. I was fine.’
‘As I see it, I’m in the second half of my life now, and fast trying to make up for lost
time.’ And how!
26 ANCHORING