Do you want to live to 100? Thankfully we have a better chance today because U.S. life expectancy has risen considerably, from 59.6 years for those born in 1922 to 77.5 years for those born in 2022. (Several websites will estimate your life expectancy including Northwestern Mutual’s Lifespan Calculator, media.nmfn.com/tnetwork/lifespan/index.html#0, which I’m sure is the most accurate because it determined I would live to 96!)
But would you want to live to 100 if your health was poor? A 2018 Harris Poll found that 89% of people 65 and older would like to reach 100 — if they were guaranteed to be of sound mind and body.
And that’s the dilemma. There is a tremendous gap between living long and living well: the 77.5 years one can expect to live compared to 66.1 years one can expect to live in full health, according to the World Health Organization’s latest calculations.
Healthspan, the number of years living in full health, has consistently lagged behind lifespan, largely due to high rates of age-associated chronic conditions including cancer, dementia, and heart disease. In addition, many of us don’t sleep enough, exercise enough, or eat enough nutritious food, all of which can detract from long-term well-being — all the things we should do, but don’t for our many reasons.
Today there is a growing awareness that life expectancy may not be the best indicator of overall health. Without an increase in healthspan, it could just mean more years with illness and disability.
There is promising research addressing our ability to maintain our health as we age, so we can stay active, engaged and able to enjoy our bonus years. But as of now, there is no quick fix to healthy aging — no magic fountain of youth. A long and healthy life comes down to making sensible lifestyle choices: exercising, eating well, and staying connected with others. And a little bit of good luck.
When thinking about how to live a long life, you might want to consider the answer of Reginald Harling, 96, when asked how he lived so long. You can find more of his thoughts, and those of other wisdom people, on the website “The Gathering of Wisdom People” at www.wisdompeople.org. Some examples:
1. I selected the right parents (they and their parents) lived into their 90s.
2. Of course, the usual reasons about not smoking and not drinking.
3. Keeping away from doctors (most of my friends who died were involved with doctors in one way or another).
4. Keeping out of bed as much as possible, bed is a very DANGEROUS place, more people die in bed than anywhere else.
5. But longevity is mainly a matter of luck — luck in health, in congenial occupation, in marriage, in family relationships.
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Brain Tease. I found this one difficult because where do you start? I’ll give you a hint. Look for words within the words.
What do the following words have in common? Feminine, kindergarten, canine, overweight, threaten, cobblestone, height, done
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During the 1950s and the early ‘60s, a common name for calf-length pants was pedal pushers. I received correct answers from Doug Nelson, Donna Mollet, Barb Weiford, Judy Kiser, Marny Weting, Sandy Haechrel, Tina Castanares, Rhonda Spies, Kathy Gay, Sharon Pantely, Rebecca Abrams, Debbie Medina, Eva Summers, Keith and Marlene Clymer, Linda Frizzell, Millie Baumgartner and 104-year-old LaVerna Harmier, who is this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket. Last week I missed Jess Birge, Dave Lutgens, Pat Evenson-Brady, Craig Terry, Ken Jernstedt and Steven Woolpert.
“Our Gang” was a series of comedy short films produced from 1922-1944 chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the new title for these comedy shorts when they were repackaged for television and first aired in 1955? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with pictures of the main characters: Alfalfa, Spanky, Buckwheat, Porky, Darla, Froggy, Waldo, and Butch.
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Well, it’s been another week trying to see the big picture while looking the other way. Until we meet again, don’t let the green grass fool you.
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“One of the commonest ailments of the present day is the premature formation of opinion.”
— Kin Hubbard
(Sept. 1, 1868 – Dec. 26, 1930)
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Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through Friday unless otherwise noted.
Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) — Wednesdays with music on second and fourth Wednesdays; Mt. Hood Town Hall (541-308-5997) — Tuesdays; Hood River Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center (541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333).
For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services: Goldendale office (509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068), and in Skamania County call Senior Services (509-427-3990).
Answer: They all end with the spelling of a number.
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