Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Life at 70,feels like 60


Life at 70,feels like 60
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

While I was travelling in Germany last year,I met this 'young lady' on a train. She was 70ish,but I was amazed at how she took her age lightly. She was travelling to her son's place and was carrying a bagpack slung on her shoulder and hand bags (heavy) in each hand(gifts for grandchildren) and when I offered help smilingly she declined it. I was very impressed with her attitude. She was 70 but acted 60.

We are all getting older but people today act younger than their parents did at the same age. Scientists have come out with a new age theory to explain why populations are ageing but simultaneously getting younger. Age is not measured by how many years you have lived,but how many more years you can look forward to. Sanderson and Scherbov have estimated how elderly people in USA,Japan and Germany will change in the years to come. Middle age in 2050 would come around 52 instead of 40 as in 2000. As people have to live more years,they are behaving as if they are younger. The focus should be on how many years we have to live which would help in designing a useful and effective healthcare system says Sanderson. In the discussion on ageing,how many years we have to live has been completely ignored so far.

So,going by this concept I feel I am now 50.Like someone said,Fifty is the old age of youth and sixty is the youth of old age.Look at it the way you want.

And here is the weirder side of it. Go try out http://www.deathclock.com. A clock will start counting off the seconds that you have left. After you have entered your date of birth,weight,sex,attitude(pessimistic,optimistic,sadistic) and whether you smoke or not. When you hit enter,a popup window gives you your date of death.

Chill. All is OK.

4 comments:

lulu said...

hi appa,
i think you'll be feeling like 60 when you are 90!
just got into frankfurt and am catching up on the blog beat..

rums said...

i agree with lulu uncle :) it was wonderful meeting you! next time you must keep an entire day aside for me and come home and meet my family.

gs said...

thanks rums for sparing the time.it was a refreshing and stimulating meeting.i look forward to my next trip to delhi and meeting up with sanjoy and gia as well.

gs said...

lulu,i feel younger day by day. a person is known by the company he keeps.you and rums are my blog companions and what more beautiful minds can i ask for,for companionship?