the new 70

I watch the first hour of The Today Show every day; have been for years.

There's a segment this morning about aging. Maria Shriver is about to turn 70, so she is interviewing people who range in age from 72-79.

The new 70's they say. Fit. Fearless. And forward-thinking.

The people they highlight include a high fashion model (76 who looks 90). An ex-lawyer turned poet. A social-media influencer. And an entrepreneur (79, with a turkey neck that detracts considerably from his somewhat youthful face).

I think my friends who are in their 70's (or close to it) would have made a more enviable group.

One friend, a few months shy of 80, plays tennis multiple times a week, plus a multitude of other exercises.  She recently completed two very long treks on the Camino Trail. Has recently written a book (first time). Decided to learn French. Got her PhD (not all that long ago). Travels a lot. And has an agent and is now acting. She is beautiful and vibrant and surprises everyone when they learn her age.

Another friend works at high-impact, short-term jobs as a major contributor. She too, is physically fit. Works out a ton. Is always visiting some foreign country.  Goes out about five nights a week (and is my inspiration for saying YES more often). 

And then there is J who bikes everywhere. Is a workout fiend. Started a job (nine years ago) as a full-time consultant to top corporate executives. Is often visiting or living outside NYC. Looks (like the others) many years younger than her biological age.

Oh and B on the west coast. He flies a plane. Kills rattlesnakes. Hunts elk. Runs. And hasn't been inhibited by age in the least.

Or another J who lives in Colorado. She skis. Still runs marathons (I think). Looks about 20 years younger. And totally embraces growing older.

My adventurous friend SW, a recreational pilot, and the best downhill skier I know, lives in New England. He now flies an open cockpit plane, and knowing him, likely does loops and rolls as well. He asks me if I would ever go up in one, and I so want to say, of course, but would I? Maybe for five minutes; certainly not to actually fly somewhere.

My list is long. Too long for a blog post (so hope no one is offended if they are not described).

Yes, there are more aches and pains. And yes, there is more awareness of mortality. And yes, I have at least one friend who agrees with Dr.  Ezekiel Emanuel (Chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Penn) who famously wrote an article (in 2014) titled, Why I Hope to Die at 75. 

But staying active. Staying positive. Staying involved. And being surrounded by like-minded, like-acting people makes all the difference.

I also think that had my friend group been the one profiled on this morning's Today Show segment, younger people watching would be thinking, "Hmm. If that's what aging looks like in your 70's (or near 70), then maybe it's not so bad."

Still, I look in the mirror and wish I could afford a facelift.  Vanity does not diminish with age. At least not for me.