Age 95 goal, anyone else ever think of this (or similar) ?

[steve2470]

Some background: My father lived to be 92 (born 1917) before Parkinson's claimed him. My mother lived to be 84 (born 1923) before Alzheimer's claimed her. I am not sure how long my grandparents lived, except to say they all passed away at age 65 or older.

A few years ago, the thought of wanting to live to 95 popped in my head as a "goal". I knew my Dad had lived to 92 and had a pretty good life overall, despite a stroke that took his ability to speak.

So, every few days, my "goal" pops in my head and I immediately think of my diet, exercise, etc. Yes, one should enjoy one's life every day no matter their life span, and yes, one only has so much control over life-span and I could die today (god forbid). I want to help and enjoy my son too, who is now 23.

I guess the age 95 thing is a bucket list item, so to speak, along with traveling and other things. Do you ever think of something similar ? I am 61 now, by the way.

Have a great day, my fellow Loungers

[bobbieinok]

1. Dad (b 08) lived to nearly 87. Mom (b 13) lived to 92. See it not as goal, as possibility. Nearly 80

[flor-de-jasmim]

2. More as an assumption

My mom will be 96 this year, her mom died at 97, her grandmother at 99 and my father at age 85 (by far the oldest of his generation), although his father's siblings all lived until their 80s, despite all 8 siblings dying of cancer--no two people from the same type of cancer.

I am currently 66.

[Newest Reality]

3. I have thought about

longevity and how being around in the next thirty years would not provide a very good retirement for most since being older can also add vulnerability and illness to the dramatic and chaotic shift that climate change is going to bring.

Those catastrophic changes will initially vary in who is affected and to what degree, but we are talking about a world system that is going to literally transform how people live and the quality of life we have come to expect.

So, no. Another thirty years of this is not something I would wish on anybody under those auspices and it is already rather difficult to survive now.

[Fla Dem]

4. I'm shooting for 90.

Last edited Sun Sep 8, 2019, 09:03 PM - Edit history (1)

Mom passed at 62, Dad at 80. All 4 grandparents made it to their 90's. One aunt made it to 102. She was very sharp right up to the day she wasn't. Fell and smashed her hip. All they could do was make her comfortable. If not for the fall, probably would have had a few more good years.

Good health will play a big role. I really don’t want to be bed ridden or incapacitated. U

[avebury]

5. Life span is a crap shoot.

Dad died at 68 (b 1920). Mom died at 78 ( b 1922). Sister died at 63 (b 1951) and brother died at 64 (b 1954). I am 62 and thinking about when to retire with conflicted thoughts given my family history. Part of me would like to work as long as I feel good, but given my family history, don’t want to risk not even having a retirement.

Given the times we live in I want to live a decent time span but have no desire to live an extremely long life. I am not optimistic that climate change can be stopped or even slowed down. The far right is hell bent on bring down not just the US but any decent democratically leaning country. There really is no incentive to live an extremely long life.

[Cartoonist]

6. Roger Waters set my goal

It was a line in this song.

You get your chance to try in the twinkling of an eye: Eighty years, with luck, or even less

[JenniferJuniper]

7. We like to think we have control

over our health, and to some extent we can help by not smoking or overeating and staying slim, but much is not within our control.

But we cannot control most cancers or congenital defects. The air we breathe and often the water we drink is not fully under our control, if at all. I'm sure most of us know people who followed all the rules and still died young. My 55 year old boss, tall, slim exercise nut who never smoked a cigarette in his life died after a massive heart attack last year. His father died at 90 and his mother is still alive at 97. My brother the vegan who runs every day has high cholesterol readings off the chart.

With that said, I think it's a good to plan to live into your 90's if you have the ability to save enough money. Personally I don't hope to live into my 90's. The body gives out as we age no matter what we do and I don't want to hang around suffering or with dementia like my 80 year old father is now. My grandmother lived into her 90's with a lot of painful physical ailments that disabled her but had a sharp mind. She was always sad about having no contemporaries. Her friends and siblings had all pre-deceased her, and stuck in an elderly apartment she spent her days going through old photo albums and thinking about the ghosts of her past.

Old age is tough. But if you're going to do it successfully you need a lot of financial resources.

[Arkansas Granny]

8. Several family members on both sides of my family have lived into their 90's and

died quietly in their sleep. To my knowledge there is no family history of Alzheimer's, cancer or diabetes. I can't say how many of us will survive into our 90's, but I think it's quite possible.

[Croney]

9. My mother is 96, I will be 75 in November, and my goal is to outlive my two ex-husbands,

so they can't talk shit about me at a funeral I don't want anyway. Current husband #3 (of 35 years) is helping me with my goal by joining me in eating right and staying active.

[IrishEyes]

10. I could die tomorrow or live to be 115. I just want to be healthy.

My grandmother died at 95. She was very healthy and active until the end. She lived on her own and would regularly visit the retirement home. She would play piano piano to entertain the residents. I always thought it was funny that she would refer to them as the old folks when many of them were 10 to 20 years younger than her. My other grandparents lived to their 80s in good health as well. My great grand father was 90 when he died.

I want to be like Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks and Betty White when I get older. They are all in their 90s.

[rownesheck]

11. I'm done.

Not that I would kill myself, but I could die today and be fine with it. Body hurts, working sucks, not to mention the pile of poop we have to deal with from *president poop-o-tron. I look forward to the sweet release of death.

[Habibi]

15. Same-ish.

Divorce, cancer, stress, poverty, the POSes in the White House and Senate . . . yeah, I'm exhausted. Any old time is fine with me.

That said, I do take pleasure in simple things. Nature, a good meal, time shared with good friends.

[Iwasthere]

12. Not how long but how well

I am 62 now and will easily live past 100. But far more important than length is the fact that I will be healthy and active. I plan to slide sideways into my grave (homebase). Heredity won't play a role in this outcome. I will Not suffer my last years bedridden. Diet plays a role in this, but also I absolutely refuse to see doctors unless I break a bone, suffer a cut or hit my head. I take zero medications, and that won't change. WAY too many side effects.

[lark]

13. Yes, I have thought of this often.

Both of my grandmothers died at 82, so I just decided long ago that would probably be my life span. Then mom lived to 90 and she has sisters alive who are 92 and 95. I thought for awhile I'd live to 90 and that was my goal. But then I saw what mom went through in her last year and it wasn't pretty. Plus mom and her sisters lived clean lives, no smoking, drinking or drug issues and little chronic issues - all have been remarkably healthy all their lives & didn't have a ton of stress. My life wasn't like that - I indulged at least once in most vices, and some I had issues with because they "hooked" me. We left CA because our best friend was a dealer and we found it really hard to say no to his crack. At this point, I'm trying to figure out how to live the best life possible for as long as possible and am cleaning up several aspects - including switching to medical marijuana and stoppingall vaping/smoking. Now I've got to figure out a diet that is good for you and one which my husband will eat. He hates KETO. Got to clean up so I'll have a healthy 82 years at least and maybe even more?

[Coventina]

14. I want to make it to 2066, the thousand year anniv. of the Battle of Hastings.

I don't know why, really, except that the story has always fascinated me.
(I'm not English)

I'd be 98 and a few months.

If I make it that far, my next goal would be 2076, the Tri-centennial.

After that, who cares?

[bigtree]

16. doin' the math

...club.

[DFW]

17. I'd be foolish to set a goal, and anyone betting on me making it to 90 is VERY brave

Both my parents and ALL their siblings had cancer. Only one grandparent made it beyond age 80 (he made it to 102) and my dad's parents never even made it to 70. The odds are against me.

I want to keep going as long as I am not a vegetable or in constant pain--preferably with my wife with me for the whole time. Without her, I'd probably have been a basket case (or, more likely, casket case) long before now.

I'm 67 now, thought I'd be done with this "each-day-another-country" routine long ago. I guess not, although I don't see any James Bond movies in which he plays a 67-year-old 007. I must be in the wrong film.

We all have to die of something, and I would rather not die of boredom.

[steve2470]

19. I hope you get to be "lazier" soon

If anyone deserves to retire, it's you. Best wishes to you, MrsDFW, and your family!

[DFW]

20. Maybe

Oh, who am I kidding?

One of our guys just tuned 80. I am flying over there in a couple of weeks for the big party.Flying to Dallas for three days from Düsseldorf is crazy, right? (OK, yes, it's crazy).

But this guy is a great friend of mine, and has been for many years. He is worth the wear and tear.

[Codeine]

18. Everyone in my family dies young,

of cancer or liver issues. I’m the first non-drinker/non-smoker in the chain so I’m hoping to get further than they did. My mom only managed mid-60s but who knows what could have been without chain-smoking, drinking like a fish, and messing around with drugs.

Guess I’ll find out.

[whistler162]

21. 60 will do until next year then

61 etc.