Friday, December 19, 2008

THE BLUE ZONE

The Blue Zone is another in the book genre of healthy living. This is my category, more or less. Two of my favorites among scores of the same type of books are The Denial of Aging by Dr. Muriel Gillick and my favorite health guy, Dr. Andrew Weil and his 8 Weeks To Optimum Health. I like these two because Dr. Gillick tells it like it is and the best philosophy goes to Weil. I especially like his idea of compressed morbidity. All of us at some late age if we take care of ourselves can hope that our end time will be short.

The Blue Zones are places on the globe where there is a discernible group who have aged to a point that they are living long and good lives. And, their life styles are measurable. In other words, they have lived a certain lifestyle which have made them vibrant and alive and living long and well. It is what we have heard: exercise, what they eat and drink, their interaction with their fellow human beings. This is a fairly simplistic view of the book.

The author has developed the book into a scientific journal with the collaboration of other scientists on the science of longevity. The Blue Zone is a literal place: Sardinia, Okinawa, Loma Linda, California and Costa Rica. I've read and now rereading.

I must confess that I recently had the opportunity to spend time with several older types, several 90 plus types that I have no doubt will make it to at least a 100. The question with them is not The Blue Zone type issues of your life style but how did you make it this far and do you want to go any further. These are philosophical questions but those that fit our society at large much more than questions of The Green Zone. Most of these have had multiple operations, maladies galore, suffering the insensitives of old age bigtime. Several had canes or walkers, about half still were driving. Most were still living independently with several in some type of home as opposed to house or apartment. Several had hearing problems and were noticeably having trouble getting around. I had a good bit of trouble engaging them in meaningful conversation about what brought them to this point in their lives. Why? I don't know.

Read The Blue Zone. It can't hurt. I read the dust jacket first and I can tell you that it did not live up to its hype in terms of formula: know why? There is none. I think personally it is philosophy. Somewhere along the way, you kind of develop a view of how you are going to live and that is as important as exercise, eating right, whatever. All of this is so intangible but insight into yourself cannot be overemphasized as you age. And, here is the rub; I don't quite see it in the older people I meet.

My models were a seminary professor, Dr. W. W. Boyce. I can still remember his insightful views toward life, not only in the classroom but sitting out on the little bench at my seminary, Erskine, in Due West, S. C. His wife had died early on and was sick before that: he nursed her and made taking care of her, his life. He never remarried and had the philosophy that he wanted to devote the rest of his life to his students. When he taught me, he was about 80. In fact, while I was in his class, the school decided to retire him. We objected vehemently and threatened a demonstration which would have been unheard of in our day. They relented.

The second model was an older woman, at least 80 or so when I knew her. I was a busboy at the college cafeteria. She constantly solicited info from me about my life, my future, any and everything. At some point, she decided that she wanted to invest a small amount of money, like $200 dollars per month in helping me. At that time, I had about four jobs and her gift meant I could quit a couple and devote more time to my studies. It was a Godsend to me and the only stipulation, which was self imposed, was that I reciprocate at some time in the future in helping others. I have and rarely do it that I don't, to myself, say this is in honor of my dear friend, Nonnie (I never learned her real first name: her last name was Kendrick). Now, with Dr. Boyce and Nonnie, how did they get that way? I don't know but I know this, their philosophy of life reflected an attitude that just didn't happen.

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