I’ve been meaning to write something about Zygmunt Bauman for some time. Partly, because he is the first person I’ve come across who uses the term “post-modern” in a way I actually find useful in understanding what is going on now. But more, because being well into middle age myself, I find the idea of a man in his late seventies, tucked away in a suburb of Leeds, having a much better idea of what is happening in the world than many much younger commentators and publishing his thoughts about it prolifically, very encouraging. For me, Zygmunt Bauman stands as a beacon of hope, representing the possibility that aging doesn’t have to be a process of decline, but can be a period of active, intelligent engagement with a changing world.