In
the United States, we are living longer than ever with the average lifespan in
2013 of 79.8 years according to the World Health Organization. In large measure,
this is the result of medical advancements in reducing the number of deaths due
to heart disease and stroke.
The
idea of lifespan came up this last weekend when my wife and I spent time with
my son who was in Oregon for the weekend. During his visit, we had a fascinating discussion about his field of graduate
study: the biology of aging. He talked about genomes, DNA and RNA, telomeres
and proteins (I wish I had remembered more from my high school biology
classes!). In those discussions, he mentioned the difference between lifespan –
how long you live, and healthspan - the period of your life during which you
are generally healthy.
Lifespan
I am familiar with since it is one of the most common indicators of health. But
when I think about it, an increase in lifespan can’t be the whole picture. Without
an increase in healthspan, it could just mean more years with illness and
disability. For example, with the rising life expectancy there is a growing
number of dementia cases which some researchers are projecting an increase of threefold by 2050.
As we add more years to our lives, don’t we still want to enjoy the life in our
years?
Even with
all the life extending medical advancements, there is a growing awareness that life
expectancy may not be the best indicator of overall health. Consequently, I
expect there will be a greater focus on research that will address what is most
important: the ability to maintain our health as we age, so we can stay active,
engaged and able to really enjoy the bonus years.
But
as of now, there is no quick fix to healthy aging - no magic fountain of youth.
A long and healthy life comes down to making sensible lifestyle choices:
exercising, eating well and staying connected with others. And a little bit of good
luck.
Now that the Center has sold all twenty
tickets for Guys and Dolls, the next
show is I Love Lucy On Stage which is
a brand-new, feel-good stage show adapted from the beloved television hit of
the 50’s. Thirteen seats are still available for the 2:00 Saturday matinee on
April 11th at the Keller Auditorium in Portland. The cost is $75 including
transportation. Drop by the Center to purchase your tickets.
If
you are staying home on St. Patrick’s Day you are missing some great music. The
annual “St. Pat's at St. Pete's” concert at St. Peter’s Landmark starts at 7
p.m. Cascade Children’s Choir and
instrumentalists will join the Cascade Singers choir, ensemble, and
"Almost-All-Irish-Almost All-Brass Band" for Irish favorites and
sing-alongs. Admission is a free-will
offering to benefit St. Peter's Landmark.
And
as I have mentioned before, the Center is having their St. Patrick’s Day Supper
and Concert featuring the local Irish band “Barley Draught”. The Irish Potato
Supper starts at 5:30 and Barley Draught will be performing from 7:00 till 10:00.
Clock Tower Ales will be providing the Guinness Draught, so it is an over 21
event. The cost is $12 for both supper and concert and $7 for concert only.
I
heard from a lot of folks that it was “Howdy Doody time” - the answer to last
week’s “Remember When” question. (The winner of five raffle tickets for the
Necktie Quilt is Ed Anghilante.)
This
week I’m going back to local history for all the old and not-so-old timers. At
the MCMC Health Foundation’s Compassion Awards event, my wife and I had the
pleasure of sitting with Jim Slusher, the director of the Mid-Columbia
Community Action Program (this year’s winner of the Community Service Organization
Award), and Phil Brady. When they started talking about some of the old
landmarks in The Dalles back in their days far, far away, my ears perked up.
For those of you who were around back then, what was the name of the grocery
store, located on the corner where The Dalles Chronicle building sits today, and
known for its sign with a rotating grocery cart on top? E-mail your answer to
mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or send it with a twenty pound bag
of groceries.
Well,
it’s been another week, looking for the next right answer – or at least
something close. Until we meet again, keep your chin up and your nose clean.
“Life
is simpler when you plough around the stump.” Cowboy wisdom
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