Oh yeah, here we go.....I recently read an article about the chances of living to be 100 years old. Really? I mean seriously...first of all, Why??? One gentleman who has lived to be 103 was asked what he attributed his long life to and he replied, "Just bad luck I guess."
I'm not trying to be a downer here but let's look at this realistically. First of all, at age 100, most people have outlived all their friends and many loved ones. They are living in a generation and a world that is so far from the lifestyle they grew up in and felt comfortable in that they feel like it's a foreign world.
Then, let's talk about lifestyle and health. My passion and pleasure in life comes from being active and being able to do those things that 'float my boat'. At age 100, my boat will not be floating on life's ocean, it will be moored in the old folks marina.
A survey conducted by UnitedHealthcare looked at centenarians and baby boomers, asking the former about the 'secrets of aging success" and evaluating whether the latter are taking the necessary steps to celebrate a 100th birthday. CELEBRATE??? Have you ever seen a happy 100 year old celebrating their birthday?
And, the results of this survey were SOOOOOO shocking. 71% of centenarians say they get 8 hours of sleep or more each night. DUH. Of course they do, what else is there for them to do. Shock #2: Only 38% of baby boomers get 8 hours or more. Hmmmmm, could that have anything to do with making a living and raising a family?
More enlightenment: 8 out of 10 centenarians say they consume at least one balanced meal a day as compared to only 54% of baby boomers. (Nursing homes and extended care facilities are big on that 'balanced meal' thing.) The baby boomer has to rely on Macadoos! Based on this, I certainly won't make it to age 60 and that's not that far away.
But here is a genuinely enlightening fact: With the ability to live longer, as of late 2011, the U.S. had an estimated 72,000 centenarians according to the Census Bureau. By the year 2050, that number ----with the aging of the baby-boom generation---is expected to reach more than 600,000. Did that sink in for you? 600,000 people who are 100 years old or older.
But perhaps the most enlightening fact from this survey is, drum roll.....76% of baby boomers say they work at a job or hobby almost every day; that compares with only 16% of centenarians!!!! So, by 2050, we will have an additional 600,000 seniors without jobs. Well, I am speechless. Get those old people off their tushes and get them a job!!!!!
Who comes up with these surveys? How much does it cost to get these pearls of wisdom?
And finally, when asked to choose from a list of notable people (including President Obama) for their preferred dinner guest, the overwhelming top choice was.........Betty White. You go girl!!
As for me, (not to open a can of worms but then again, open away).....when I reach that age that I can not be productive and have a 'quality' of life, haul me off to the vet and send me over the Rainbow Bridge. From what I hear, there will be a big crowd waiting for me and they will be happy to see me. I have no 100 year old aspirations.
