Many years from now
Will you still be sending me a valentine
Birthday greetings, bottle of wine?"
The Beatles sang the song, "When I'm 64" nearly 50 years ago, but the lyrics (like so many of their masterpieces) still rings true today. I'm two years away from 40 and I can't help but think about what "64" will be.
I really started contemplating this when the keynote speaker at our Telluride in-service spoke on the importance of physical education. Now, I am not sure he helped my educational practices, but he did make one point that had a profound impact on my life. I'm paraphrasing here, but it was something like, "It's not the number of years you live- it's the quality of those years"
That one statement hit me like a ton of bricks. I have been working out more and eating (or trying to eat) better because I want all of the years in my life to be active and healthy. Do I want to live to 80? 90? 100? Sure, if I can spend those years with all of my mental faculties and physicaly fit. Do I want to live that long if I have to suffer through preventable diseases or conditions? No way! I've been in one too many nursing homes to want to see how that story plays out.
Which leads to a greater question- How long should we live? Or maybe even how long do you want to live? This thought provoking article from CNN.com responds to an ad claiming the first person to live to 150 years old is alive today. I know we all want to live a long and healthy life, but how long is too long? Too long for us or too long for the sustainability of our society... Put your thoughts in the comments below.
Here's some Beatles to make you smile:
And of course the 411 on today's run!
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