Because Lynn was interested, I watched a Zoom presentation by Kevin McAdam about The Villages, a movement related to getting older people somewhat organized to care for each other while staying in their homes. I wasn't very interested but Kevin mentioned the book "The Longevity Economy" by Joseph Coughlin. That book got me interested in changes in our nation and our world that happen as more people live to greater age.
When one of my grandkids was about to turn 40, she expressed some dread at being so old. When some 20-year old college students approach the age of 30, they dread such aging. I read decades ago that the organization and business thinker Peter Drucker figured that 65 was not an age that society could stay with for retirement. He thought it would need to be older.
I am older than 80, a number that has always seemed to qualify as "old" to me but as more and more people live through the 90's to 110 and beyond, 80 gets to be less old. Coughlin's book, this article by Steven Johnson
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/27/magazine/global-life-span.html
and Johnson's book "Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer", available May 11, have all brought my attention to the subject of aging, longevity and life expectation.
Since older people, say 60 or more, have seen more, experienced more and may think differently that those younger, I imagine society, business and politics are all affected. When the subject of living longer comes up, I often hear something about the quality of life, too. People often say "I wouldn't want to be a vegetable". I can appreciate interest in the quality of life but it can be surprising how firmly people don't want to exit life just yet. It can also be surprising how flexible people can be about adopting new tools, new habits and accommodating their abilities and interests.
Many books, articles and web pages use the words "life expectancy". It is true that expecting the average makes sense, except for the fact that we are not average. Average this but not that. Staying alive is something our ancestors and our wiring are engineered for but not dying is both individual and a matter of luck and fate. Nutrition, habits, smoking, alcohol, automobile driving skills, care on stairs, sleep and dozens of other factors and variables matter. All those angles of my parents and grandparents also matter, as well as my typical attitude and happiness level also affect me. So, if I happen to die before tomorrow, I am not going to be ashamed of not living longer.
