I often think that the rules change after 70. 70 is just an arbitrary number, of course, but considerations, smart living, ethical living seems to take some different turns at higher ages. We are a process, not a finished product. Or, as Buckminster Fuller and others have noted, "I seem to be a verb". I seem to be in flux, all the time.
As the likely number of years of remaining life falls, I may well be less interested in saving money. But of course, although I may have funds to do so, I may also be less interested in travel or other adventure. If I have trouble walking or severe shortness of breath, scaling Mt. Rainier may no longer be appealing.
People seem to be quite afraid of Alzheimer's or other sorts of dementia, especially those that interfere with memory. I guess I might have climbed Mt. Rainier but not have a memory of doing so. My memory is not usually all that creative so I suppose it is unlikely that I will have a false memory of climbing the mountain when I never really did.
I recently saw that the number of living humans who have reached the age of 110 is at least 145 since there is an open list of "supercentenarians" (people 110 or more years old) in Wikipedia. One of the things about being alive is that one never really knows how long one will live. Further, one doesn't know how long good clear consciousness and memory will continue to be available.
Just the other day, two friends were to meet for lunch. One completely forgot the appointment! Later, they talked. "I apologize. I am very sorry! Can we reschedule? And, why didn't you phone me?" "I couldn't remember your name." Picture the scene. She is alone at her table. The clock implies no one is coming. The sound track swells and we may expect that a romance or a tragedy is at work, without thinking of the possibility of simple memory malfunction.
