The older you get, the older you get.
If that sounds like nonsense to you, don’t be too quick to dismiss this statement. I have in front of me a period Life table. True it is a few years old and applies to US conditions, which are a tat less rosy than Canadian statistics, but that’s all I could find, and it affirms my point that “The older you get, the older you get.”
Here is the proof of my premise. In the good old USA in 2005 a male baby at birth had a life expectancy of 74.81 years, while a female one had 79.75 years, a difference of almost 5 years. Canadians, thanks to their country-wide health insurance, do a bit better. If we live till 65, men still live, on average, till 81.73, and women till 84.5 years, thus men have gained almost 7 years since birth and women just less than 5. It gets even better: at age 70, life expectancy is 83.3 and 85.7. Thus again slowly the men are gaining on the women. That trend continues, narrowing the gap at 75 to 85.26 and 87.24, and almost getting even in life expectancy at 85, with a difference of a bit more than a year, at 90.41 and 91.54. I should add, perhaps, that a man lives an average of 15 years after becoming impotent. So, keep it up, you guys. Moses, at 120, had still excellent eye-sight and was still going strong, his natural force- including sexual drive- unabated. (Deut. 34:7).
So there you have it: the older you get, the older you get.
But….Yes, there is always a ‘but.’ Getting older comes at a price, a steep monetary one for the nation as a whole. Scores more of seniors mean huge tax increases in the near future. With a growing number of aging people and with fewer workers entering the economy, tax dollars to support our generous old age allowances and the increasing medical costs are becoming harder and harder to come by. The current stimulus injections, already causing immense deficits on all government levels, will make matters worse, especially in the USA and the European countries where governments have not been as prudent as in Canada.
So what are the real ‘old age’ numbers? I am a great one for statistics: in 1900, 4.1 percent of U.S. citizens were older than 65, but by 2000 that amount had jumped to 12.6 percent; by 2030, 20 percent of us will be in that category. That means that if you are approaching 65 you will live to see 2030 when one in five will be a senior citizen. Canada is not ready for that, even though it is in better shape than most other industrial countries. Although it is not a bible text, nevertheless it is true that “God helps those who help themselves”. By this I mean that only you can take it upon yourself to become and stay in good shape, and so grow older without resorting to becoming dependent on waning government assistance, because next to rapidly growing pension outlay, the cost of medical care is also growing exponentially, making it certain that our welfare state will not be able to continue in its present state.
It is simply impossible to keep on conducting business as usual. Circumstances have changed dramatically. Look what’s been happening: wages are flat or declining, consumer debt is up in the stratosphere, and job security is disappearing, while our natural habitat is suffering and the air is being saturated with our carbon deposits.
In other words: the old track is broken. The new track has fewer jobs, less income, larger deficits, increasing hardship and greater weather volatility. This simply means that the current economy can never “recover”, can never go back to where it was before the crash and before the environment was relatively pure. So instead of asking when the recovery will start, we should be asking what the new economy will be and when the new economy will begin. Expect the unexpected.
However, there is a lot to be thankful for, and a lot we can do to cope with the future. First the personal part. For me, there are definitely great blessings of being older. For one, I am at peace. Tranquility is the word for me. No more battles to wage, no more arguments to win or lose. Let go, let God. I can’t solve the world’s problems, so I don’t get worked up as I used to do. I have learned to accept the unalterable. Also, who knows, maybe I am not always right in my opinions. That’s still a hard one for me.
All five of our children are doing well, while our grandchildren – we have seven granddaughters and 6 grandsons – are in no hurry to get married, something I can understand as well. I recognize that being single is different than when I grew up. I also see much more clearly the interconnectedness of us humans with the entire creation. I love my vegetable garden – and hate to see the chipmunks destroy my beets for no apparent reason. I pray for my trees and am grateful that my apple- trees bear abundantly. I treasure my bike and often pray while pedaling on my daily trek to the village, almost 6 km away, along a busy highway to get my Globe and Mail and other daily needs.
How can we enjoy life, even in old age? A recent article in the Scientific American gives a few pointers how to stay well, which, by the way is also the Christian things to do. The great love commandment includes the holy duty to love our neighbors as ourselves. To love takes effort. To love one self means to purposely keep fit. Says the article, “Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.”
It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor. Healthy older adults can do much more than had been assumed even a few years ago. Now middle age can go well into the 80’s.
If you want to stay alert, read, and limit T.V. to the minimum. If you want to stay healthy: walk, bike, run, mow the lawn, not on a riding mower, but a push one, preferably an electric one. All others spout out pollutants, and lawn mowers are the worst for the environment, especially your own lungs. I would not be surprised that there is a connection between prostate problems and gas-powered mowers. Even moderate levels of physical activity can limit declines in brain function. The best kind of exercise is aerobic, a sustained movement, such as in running and biking, something that makes you sweat: it improves verbal and nonverbal memory and gives you new ideas. My best thoughts come when I run, which I do 2 times per week.
Basically there is no such thing as being old as long as we stay active, socially involved, eat well – not too much – and consume genuine food, preferably home-grown, like our grandparents did, visit with friends and relatives, stay optimistic, agreeable and open to new experiences.
Remember, the older we get, the older we get. Do it gratefully and graciously and God will bless you.
Bert Hielema was born in 1928, lives in Tweed, Ont., is the sole tenor in a 12 voice church choir and keeps a blog: http://hielema.ca.blog/. He can be reached at hielema@allstream.net