PICAYUNE —
Throughout history only one person out of ten reached the age of 65 while today eight out of ten of us live beyond 65. As a result:
Since the year 1900 nearly 30 years has been added to the average person's lifespan making ours the first generation of Americans with such a great percentage of old folks.
Two-thirds of all the men and women in history who ever lived beyond 65 are alive today.
In a little over 200 years American's average lifespan has doubled. Never before in history has there been such a large number of healthy, active elders.
There is also good news about our brains. We used to think that we were given a set number of brain cells at birth and they had to last a lifetime. Later we discovered that brain cells were being replaced and as a result our memories could be preserved, our bodies invigorated and our love lives recharged. This means that we not only get to see our grandchildren grow up but get to know our great grandchildren. As a matter of fact, in June I expect to attend the family reunion in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and at that gathering I expect to see most, if not all of my ten great grandchildren, eight girls and two boys.
Several years ago I learned several good things about growing old at a workshop conducted by Dr. Robert L. Kahn, President of the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. The title of the workshop was “The challenge of successful aging: How you get to be 100 and what to do when you get there.” Dr. Kahn got my full attention because I wanted to know how to live to be a hundred. I was pretty sure I would know what to do if I got there. From that meeting I carried away six encouraging facts that he had discovered in 10 years of research.
1. Being old doesn't mean you have to be sick. In the past old people died of infectious diseases like small pox. Today the most common diseases are arthritis, heart problems, diabetes along with hearing and visual problems; every one of them is treatable!
2. Older folks can keep on learning. We are somewhat slower than we used to be but experiments prove that we are still capable of learning new things very well. I was in my 70s when I put away my yellow legal pad and got my first computer. If an absent-minded professor with very limited technical skill can learn to use a computer, anyone can. I learned how to use a mouse and have gone through three computers since that time.
3. Its never too late to build a better body. Did you know that a decrepit older person can become vigorous and active again? Amazingly, if an older person stops smoking or drinking, starts eating right and exercises regularly he or she will build a stronger body at any age .
4. Good health is largely in our own hands, old or young. We used to say the secret of growing old was to choose your parents wisely. Research has shown that this is only partly true. Both the length and quality of our life is largely in our own hands and the older we get the more this is true. Here is what to do: Avoid diseases by developing good health habits, keep active physically and mentally, maintain an active social life, develop a prayer life and go to church. I just added prayer and church attendance. They were not in the workshop because such a statement is not politically correct, but it is very well documented.
5, Intimacy is for a lifetime. The idea that older men and women are no longer interested in their love life is fiction. While romance seems to fade with some couples the reason is generally poor health or poor communication, not old age. For most couples the need for affection and intimacy lasts a lifetime .
6. Old folks carry their own weight financially. If you have the idea that older citizens are a financial burden remember that, through savings and retirement funds, they control about half of the nations wealth. When they use their money jobs are created and the country prospers.
Living in Mississippi I was proud of the news from the “Generosity Report of the Catalogue for Philanthropy” that, for eight consecutive years Mississippi has been the most generous state in the nation in spite of the fact that it is the poorest state in the nation. Of equal value is the fact that, across the nation, when most elders retire they are still capable of using their energy, skills and money in serving others in their communities. The country would be poor indeed without their contributions.
What we have learned about growing old is very encouraging: You can enjoy good health, you can keep on learning, you can build a better body, intimacy lasts a lifetime, old folks carry their weight financially, and the length and quality of life is in our hands. Old age can and ought to be the golden autumn of your life.
Lifestyles
What we are learning about old age
- Lifestyles
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- 2013 Partners for Pearl River County By Jodi Marze The 10th class of Partners for Pearl River County celebrated its graduation at First Baptist Church on Friday, May 10, in the Fellowship Hall. The graduating class included: Jason Bounds, Nacole Dillon, Christy Goss, John Huck, Jeff McClain, Teenia Perry, Paul Reese, Brooke Rester, Eric Stafne, Richelle Stafne, Kristin Thibodeaux, Pat Tidmore, and Jim Walker. The staff is comprised of: Jo Woods, Tricia Knight, Shirley Wiltshire, Marilyn Bailey, Rod Lincoln and Scott Langlois (Program Chairman).
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Tami Harris takes state
Local business owner and community volunteer Tami Harris has won the coveted title of 2012 Greater Federation of Women’s Clubs-Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs (MFWC) Club Woman of the Year for the state of Mississippi. A member of the Civic Woman’s Club of Picayune, Harris is one of only three club members, along with Darlene Adams and Leslie Lincoln, to take the state title.
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Arboretum Paths
Last week, students participating in the 2013 Mississippi Master Naturalist Program visited the Crosby Arboretum for an all-day training. The session was part of 40 hours of field and classroom instruction they will receive, educating them about natural resource management and environmental stewardship, and is a part of their preparation to become Certified Mississippi Master Naturalists.
- Chamber Ribbon Cutting Children's International Medical Group held a grand opening and Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting at their first Mississippi location, located in Picayune.
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Historic City Hall Dedication Friday
Friday, May 3 at 10 a.m. the New City Hall will be dedicated on Goodyear Boulevard. This event will coincide with the 75th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Old Historic City Hall building.
- PRC Community Band presents: An American Legacy The Pearl River County Community Band, under the direction of Johnny Baker, will present “An American Legacy: An afternoon of American music for concert bands,” on Sunday, May 5, at 2 p.m. at the Picayune Memorial High School Auditorium.
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Arboretum Paths
On their recent tour, fifth grade students from Lamar Christian School in Purvis encountered a seemingly endless variety of wildlife, ranging from crawfish to inchworms, to writhing masses of spiny, newly-emerged caterpillars. There is no such thing as a “typical” walk around the Arboretum’s Pond Journey and Pitcher Plant Bog. Every venture reveals something new to every group of visitors.
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Beebe returns to Main Street
“I was excited when the Picayune Main Street, Inc. Board of Directors asked me to return as manager to the local Main Street program. Also, extremely grateful to Picayune City Manager Jim Luke, Mayor Ed Pinero and city council for their blessings and approval to relocate our office,” says Beebe. “One of my favorite sayings is ‘There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.’ I have to say, I had a blast working on committees, projects and events with the most dedicated staff and group of volunteers in Pearl River County from March 2005 to May 2010. I look forward to getting new committees in place and working with ‘seasoned’ volunteers as well as new volunteers who share the same passion and desire to keep Picayune moving forward.”
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15th Annual Rotary Fishing Rodeo held in McNeill
“We are all fortunate to play a small part in the joy we see in their faces when they get a bite on their line and see the fish they catch. My wife, Sharon, and I hosted it last year on our anniversary and we would not have had it any other way. It was a perfect day.”
— Rotarian Tony Paternostro -
Picayune Main Street relocates to Intermodal
Picayune Main Street, Inc. has relocated to the Intermodal Transportation and Tourism Center at 200 Hwy 11 South. With the change in location the organization is also shifting focus back to the four points of the Main Street Approach according to President Bill Edwards.
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