I remember an episode from the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun when Dick took up cigarette smoking. He is told that smoking will take ten years off your life and responds by saying that those are off the end of your life and those are crappy years anyway!
So the questions I ponder today are:
Do you really want to live long?
and
What do you consider to be prosperous?
I'm 60 and I think I still have some good years left. God knows there is still plenty that I could learn and I may be able to pass along a few tidbits of information that I've learned along the way. There is no doubt that physical limitations have become more of an issue with age. Much of that is from my own neglect of my health, but there is certainly a natural decline that affects each of us.
But even with less physical activity there is an appreciation for much of life that is a result of age, experience, and learned wisdom. There are many people my age that are quite active -- running marathons, body building, hiking the mountains, etc. That's definitely not me. I didn't do those things when I was younger, so I don't really see why I should suddenly aspire to do them now or why I would suddenly enjoy them now. I'm much more likely to contemplate my life while smoking a good cigar and sipping a good whisky or craft beer.
I remember the words of one old pastor -- If I would've know I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself!
So -- How long do you want to live?
Are you physically, mentally, and even financially fit to live well into those last years?
Admittedly, there is much about getting old that I'm not looking forward to, but neither am I ready to hang it up.
How do you feel about aging into a long life?
We'll tackle the prosperous question another day -- maybe.
John
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