It appears a few of us will be doing this according to statistics, so how do you feel about that? Can you imagine the reality of it? Do you want to go long before then or do you fancy breaking records?
I did wonder if you would feel a bit cheated in a way living that long because if you knew you would live so long, would you spend 30 years watching Countdown waiting to die or if knowing you had this time, would you do more?
I was talking to my nan yesterday who is 78. She couldnt even remember exactly how old she was, not through fading memory, more than she hadnt thought about it or worked it out - she assume she was about 76. She talked to her sister who lives in Houston last night, who having had her eyes sorted, at 84 is still taking care of grandchildren and showing dogs nationally as a full time job.
She will be coming over to the UK in the spring to see my nan and her younger brother, usually under the notion it will be the last time, shes getting old etc, but every other year, a letter arrives saying shes feeling well, she will be over in a few months.
I wonder if we will still be getting the letters in 16 years time... her mother live until she was 87 and her grandmother lived to 98, so theres a good chance you would think.
I cant imagine whats its like though. Genetically, I could get up there though the way I feel these days, its seems unlikely!
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In principle it sounds great, a long retirement to occupy oneself with hobbies. But that is only true if you are in good health. My late mother lost the use of her legs, and suffered severe pain in the last few years of her life, and I think she would not have been sad to go when she did. Poor health really does put a damper on the spirits. Also there is the issue of pensions. By the time I retire pensions probably will not cut in until 70 or more. And if everyone is living long, annuities will be poor. Still, it could be quite exciting to see how society and technology develops.
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Bit too much hype about this, the cynic in me thinks that once everyone assumes they are going to live to 100 then upping the retirement age to 70 (or more) seems quite reasonable, watch this space.
As my lovely SWM often says 'hard work does kill you', i doubt very much that anyone who's put the graft in that many of us have will see a ton, it's a cert i won't, worn out.
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Don't believe the hype.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12092345
"according to the government". Strangely, Ros Altman, Director General of the Saga Group and a former government advisor on pensions in the interview does not even hint at this quoting 50's 60's and 70's more than once. She knows of women who are over 100 in nursing homes and freely admits there will be six times as many women as men reach that age.
*tongue in cheek*
That must be due to the household labour saving devices effect of the last few decades. The men are still worn out at 70.
*/tongue in cheek*
Last edited by: gmac on Sat 1 Jan 11 at 15:52
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Do I want to live to 100?
No thanks.
That said, I don't want to die either... I was critically ill in my early 20's, so much so,my family was told I wouldn't make it past 24 hours - since then I look at every day as a bonus.
But 100? naw, the amount of grief my body gives me (pain, and joint issues mostly) I don't think I could cope with another 50 years of the same and worse.
I just wish I had taken more care of myself in my youth, maybe I wouldn't be as knackered as I am today!
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Unless I've got my sums wrong or I win the lottery I'll have to work until I drop anyway and I don't fancy working until I'm 100....
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I live the words @ around 40secs in, on this track....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAydj4OJnwQ
...Its my feelings to a tee. I hope people understand......
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I'm not afraid of being dead. I'm a bit worried about how I get there though! Nothing slow or painful please.
John
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Do you want to live to be 100?
Ask a 99 year old.
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Better still a 101 year old?
John
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I'm with Tony. I have so much wrong with me that it can only get worse.
I'm not sure I could handle some of this as an 80+. I too had a near death moment and look on every day since as a bonus. My attitude to life changed over those days in Coronary Intensive Care.
If they find new drugs and treatments in the next few years then yes...I'm up for being a Guinea-pig and having a go.....see the ton out then ok !
The big thing for me would be seeing my grandkids get established as young adults...........and I wouldn't have to hand the car over to my son for a few more years.
Ted
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I'm not keen on putting up with you for all those years either.
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A married couple friends of mine each had a parent who lived to 102 and 103 respectively.
Their birthdays were within a few days of each other and I doubt if many will be able to say that, like me, they bought birthday cards for two centenarians on at least three occasions...:-)
One of them, who lived to 103, was incredibly active until the last couple of years and actively participated in several celebration parties held over a week long period when he reached 100.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Sat 1 Jan 11 at 16:51
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Not much point in most on this site worrying about it - 85% of people aged 100 or over are women.
Other key factors apparently are;
long lived parents
No abuse of alcohol or tobacco
Live in the country - city dwellers are far less likely to reach 100
Ability to handle stress
A belief in god and a purpose to life. Apparently many centenarians are active member of their church.
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If I had the health, finances and social circle to enable me to live a full and enjoyable life, then why not.
But to live to 100 with a debilitating illness, suffering financial hardship, or without people I truly care about being a major feature of my life does not appeal at all.
My late great Uncle was an example to me of a good life. Died quite suddenly in his early 90s, but fit, able, and with a great circle of friends until the end. Also had enough tucked away to ensure a decent standard of living all the way to the end.
All these are more important, within reason of course, than the number of candles on your final birthday cake.
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Yes, health is the key. If you feel OK apart from a few aches and pains, then no problem. But if you're suffering from anything serious that gets you down on a daily basis, then I think you'd rather welcome the pearly gates with open arms. I thought my Grandad was going to live to at least 90, but he deteriorated surprisingly rapidly and died at 85 last year. In the last years of his life it was upsetting to see how much he had started to stoop. It makes you look so vulnerable. And this was someone who was very fit and full of life.
Don't forget that most, if not all of your friends will have gone, so life could be pretty lonely. You may have carers, but you won't have much in common with them or anyone still around.
One of my nans, now departed, said to me, 'it's OK being old, you can cope with that, but very old, that's a different matter'.
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When I see a dribbly, doddery, pee stained old un, I always say to Nicole " If I get like that - put me down"
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He grandpa is 91 and aims to live to 100. He cannot walk and needs lots of carers but says his health is quite good. He certainly still has his mind.
He dosn't have much of an existance though, his wife is dead and his family all live 100+ miles away.
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>> When I see a dribbly, doddery, pee stained old un, I always say to Nicole
>> " If I get like that - put me down"
>>
Mine would probably take up an invitation like that on the spot !
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>> >> When I see a dribbly, doddery, pee stained old un, I always say to
>> Nicole
>> >> " If I get like that - put me down"
>> >>
>> Mine would probably take up an invitation like that on the spot !
>>
>i darent say it now
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"Not much point in most on this site worrying about it - 85% of people aged 100 or over are women.
Other key factors apparently are;
long lived parents
No abuse of alcohol or tobacco
Live in the country - city dwellers are far less likely to reach 100
Ability to handle stress
A belief in god and a purpose to life. Apparently many centenarians are active member of their church."
That criteria reduces my chances of making it to 100 to about nill
Last edited by: AndyP on Sat 1 Jan 11 at 17:57
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>> No abuse of alcohol or tobacco
I wonder how long Keith Richards will live?
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If I had reasonable physical health and Mental health living longer would be OK - if either or both health is really impaired then a big Red Bus coming along at 60mph would be desirable.
25% of people in NHS care have dementia - and it is set to rise as my "baby boomers generation" age from their current mid 60's
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....so when's your funeral Señor Z?
Are we invited?
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>> ....so when's your funeral Señor Z?
>> Are we invited?
you would have to ask Nicole, thats in her hands remember depending on how smelly and dribbly I am.
I will probably out see you tho, so no, your not invited.
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I'm not really bothered what they do with me after I snuff it. I'll rely on the smell to encourage them to make some suitable provision.
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"Ask a 99 year old."
L'escargot?
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One in three Frenchwomen born in the last few years will reach 100, it is convincingly calculated. Men won't reach the magic milestone in the same numbers, but they too will be, indeed are already, living much longer while still possessing their main faculties.
I translated a book last year that covered this and all sorts of related subjects (including incidentally surrogate and other technologised parenthood, genetic screening of foetuses and other stuff). It made me feel incredibly old and ill although I am hardly verging on middle age.
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I was born in 1911 so I have .
Next question.
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Really madf? Same year as my late father?
Chapeau! How did you learn all this computer scheisse?
Or was it 1931 or 41 really?
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AC
well I may have got the last three digits a little wrong but the error in each is less than 10 so it's minor :-)
Last edited by: madf on Sat 1 Jan 11 at 20:42
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>> I wonder how long Keith Richards will live?
I think Keith has lived most if not all of his years so far.
I wouldn't mind "living" to reach 100, but the prospect of "surviving" that long is a different bag of worms.
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>> I wouldn't mind "living" to reach 100, but the prospect of "surviving" that long is a different bag of worms.
>>
If its a case of "surviving" I would sooner BE a bag of worms.
As my old mum , a country girl, used to say re animals / poultry. " its no use further treatment - knock it on the head "
If I get to the state that I do not even recognise my close family then " Someone turn my lights out!"
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>> I think Keith has lived most if not all of his years so far.
A passage from Nick Kents (NME journalist) book 'Apathy for the Devil'
Sometime the next morning Ronnie Wood - fresh off the plane from Europe - joined Keith's little clan, followed by Jimmy Page later in the day. That night they returned to Wood's and wrote and recorded a song together in the same studio called 'Scarlet' - 'a folk ballad with reggae guitars' (according to Page) that remains unissued to date. I wish I'd been there to tell you about it but I flaked out during the earlier mixing session and had crawled back to my dingy Archway shack for some much needed rest and recuperation. Richards and I had been more or less awake for the same length of time - about forty hours - and I was dead on my legs whilst he was still wide awake and readying himself for three more days and nights of full-on wakefulness. Truly the man was a walking miracle of wayward stamina. Don't ever find yourself in a drug stand-off with him. No one throughout history has taken more drugs with more pleasurable consequences than Keith Richards. It's like going into combat with someone out of Greek mythology. The graveyards of the world are littered with the corpses of those who have tried and failed. I'm profoundly lucky that I came out of it with some good stories and just an upset stomach.
:)
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KR looks like he has lived to 220 year old, and drunk, drugged and shagged for all of them.
Lucky sod.
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My dad died in March of last year one month after his 99th birthday. He was classically 'old school'. He didn't drink or smoke and only ever went out with my mum. He was an engineer whose chosen specialised subject was mathematics. He was made redundant at the age of 60 from his job as a works manager in an engineering company for whom he had worked for over 40 years and promptly got a job as an overnight petrol pump attendant at a local 24 hour garage. Twelve months later he was offered a position at another local engineering company and worked there until way past his 70th birthday. When he was 85 my mum died and we thought that he would probably throw in the towel. No chance!! He got on with living on his own (with massive help from my sister and minor help from me). Things were fine until he got to about 96 and his memory started to go. Then his sight, which he only had in one eye from birth, started to deteriorate. His final couple of years were not good for him or for us and he eventually had a fall at home which necessitated him spending the final months of his life in distressing circumstances in hospital and, eventually, in a rest home.
The point that I am trying to make is that, if it were left to me, I would like to use my dad's experience (for the umpteenth time) and be able to sign off just before things started to get uncomfortable for those who were looking after me.
He quietly wanted to reach his century, as we all wanted him to. It didn't happen and he would probably have preferred to have been excused his final couple of years on this planet.
I would like to see Liverpool FC win at least one more League Championship/Premier League title before I go to add to the 13 that I have been privileged to watch over the past 60 years (I was too young to see the 1947 triumph) so my answer to the question is 'probably not'.
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>> I would like to see Liverpool FC win at least one more League Championship/Premier
>> League title before I go
I wished you were younger on their current form! ;-)
Living longer is only good if we enjoy living and do not cost future generations/tax-payers too much. I can see pensions annuities being worthless and everyone having to save a lot more. But with mortgage borrowing high, how can most save enough for retirement in say the next 20 years let alone 60 years!
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I'm not convinced by the predictions. I know actuarying is scientific, but intuitively it seems unlikely that the number of centenarians will increase from 12,000 to 500,000.
There's a lot of softening up going on IMO, with stories contstantly being released about the strain on pensions funding. Legislation is reportedly on the stocks to allow employers to break their own pension scheme rules to change indexation from RPI to CPI which will slash deficits and effectively transfer colossal wealth from employees and pensioners to the employers.
Sadly, everybody seems to have forgotten what the Labour Party was for, including the Labour Party.
Brace yourselves for penurious retirements, long or short.
Last edited by: Manatee on Sun 2 Jan 11 at 11:12
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I think optimum age for dying is 80 years.
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I'd rather be 18 and know what I know now...:-)
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>> I'd rather be 18 and know what I know now...:-)
>>
If I was 18 and knew what I know now I'd probably top myself. Ignorance is bliss.
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>>A belief in god and a purpose to life. Apparently many centenarians are active member of their church.<<
So you might have thought they'd have wanted to go earlier...
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Scared to death of dying, all this fire brimstone and repent manure thats spouted.
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"all this fire brimstone and repent manure thats spouted."
More like being part of a community that cares for one another, don't you think? I'm not a believer in god but modern secular society often doesn't seem to do a very good job at caring for the elderly and making them part of the community.
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>>..often doesn't seem to do a very good job at caring for the elderly and making them part of the community. >>
In most other countries the opposite is the case.
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It could be said that in certain countries the church keeps people in such abject poverty, that it shortens their lives.
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If I was 18 I would have done a few things differently but then I have made some good friends by taking the path I did and I wonder if I had done things differently I could say the same?
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Do you want to live to 100? - Leif
