COMMUNITY COMMENTARY:More centenarians show secrets to longevity

Reaching a ripe old age has fascinated people over the ages. There are many organizations dedicated to exploring the causes behind aging and ways to ease aging.

It is human nature to not surrender to old age. Even for those who do not wish for eternal life, longevity may be desired to experience more of life, or to provide a greater contribution to humanity.

Various factors contribute to an individual’s longevity. Significant factors in life expectancy include gender, genetics and access to health care, hygiene, diet, exercise and lifestyle.

Aging, I have decided, is a gift. I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometimes despair over my body — the wrinkles, the baggy eyes and the sagging behind. And often I am taken aback by that old person who lives in my mirror, but I don’t agonize over those things for long.

There is one thing that scares me: the thought that I might live to be 100. The thought of wasted muscles, false teeth, and declining memory, vision and hearing will be only half my worries; will my superannuation last that long?

Living to be 100 is becoming so common it soon will be almost as inevitable as taxes. In the past, the only clues we had to the secrets of a long life were the lifestyles of the few who had reached the 100-year milestone. Today, with tens of thousands of centenarians to study, scientists have uncovered anti-aging agents, personality traits, exercise regimes and diets that put some real evidence behind lifestyles said to help you live a long life.

Key tips are: keep your mind active, stay social, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and keep on learning new skills to grow new brain cells.

These thoughts came about as the Costa Mesa Senior Center plans an Aug. 20 celebration for seniors who are more than 80 years old. Many surprise me on a daily basis. One who is 95 loves to dance and can put me to shame. Another who turned 102 is still coming twice a week to play piano for her friends. And there are many others, each with a different story.

Today, seniors are taking care of themselves, and just as the baby boomers look younger than our parents did due to taking care of ourselves, eating properly and exercising, the same standard applies to our seniors.

If you would like to be part of the “Over 80 Birthday Party,” please contact the center at (949) 645-2356.