In this captivating episode of The Year of Being 70 Ep 12: Three Surprising Confessions from Lucy & Lisette, we delve into the unexpected and intriguing world of two lifelong friends, Lucy and Lisette, both 70 years old. These remarkable women share three secret pleasures and aversions that most people don’t know about them, revealing sides of themselves that are rarely seen by others.

What You Didn’t Know About Lucy and Lisette:

Lucy, a book mentor and author, confesses to an aversion that might surprise many—she doesn’t enjoy music, and never has, even as a child. This lack of connection to music could be attributed to a condition known as Musical Anhedonia, a neurological condition affecting 3-5% of the population, where dopamine receptors aren’t wired to the music audio circuits. On the other hand, Lisette has a strong dislike for Coca-Cola and has only tried it once in her life. Her experience in Amman, where she couldn’t refuse a glass of Coke from a generous taxi driver, adds a layer of complexity to this confession.

Lucy reveals her love for TV soap operas, game, and quiz shows like EastEnders, Neighbours, and The Archers, despite her professional image as an intellectual. Her fondness for these shows reflects a side of her that contrasts sharply with her highbrow persona. Lisette enjoys shopping at local markets but admits that she rarely cooks the ingredients she buys. Their confessions extend to everyday habits—Lucy loves to swear, finding a kind of joy and release in it, while Lisette showers only every three days, sparking discussions about hygiene and societal norms.

Will They Be Judged?

Both friends feel they may be judged for their unusual or unexpected predilections or aversions. Lucy’s lack of interest in music once led someone to suggest she had no soul, while Lisette's infrequent showering raises concerns about being perceived as unhygienic. These intimate revelations open a window into the societal pressures and personal insecurities they navigate.

Soaps and Soap:

Lucy feels that people may be surprised by her love of soap operas, as professionally, she's mostly seen as an author and book mentor, so perhaps more highbrow than a lover of EastEnders and Neighbours—not to mention The Archers—suggests that she is. Lisette's very practical reasons for not showering every day—killing off the important microbes on our bodies, wasting water, putting excessive soap chemicals into the water system—might just look like she's unhygienic. This leads to Lisette and Lucy discussing the state of their fridges and whether they would pick up dropped food and eat it off the floor (spoiler alert—yes, in their own homes).

Key Highlights in This Episode:

• Not Liking Music Isn’t a Sin: Musical Anhedonia is a neurological condition—not just Lucy being weird. It means a person's dopamine receptors are not wired up to their music audio circuits.
• To Swear or Not to Swear: Lucy also claims that swearing, which she enjoys, has a useful biological function, as tested in an experiment by @Stephen Fry. You can check the experiment here: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4d.... She is always surprised when people apologise for swearing in front of her and feels she is somehow not presenting her true self.
• Introvert/Extrovert: Lisette also feels misjudged at times when others see her as highly social and extrovert, but actually, she has a strong need to spend considerable amounts of time on her own and likes the term 'integration' for what introverts...