One of the things that I enjoy most about being older is feeling more able and more comfortable to say what I think. This doesn’t mean I take pleasure in being insulting or rude – it is actually quite the opposite. As a nation we are, by nature, quite self-deprecating, and maybe it’s because of this that we are not very good at giving compliments. We worry that they may be misconstrued, sound insincere or – worse – sarcastic. But nowadays, instead of just thinking that someone is wearing a beautiful dress, or has a handsome dog, or is doing their job particularly well, I tell them.