Saturday, September 16, 2006
Twilight zone
By Henrylito D. Tacio
"THE number is quite big," bared Benedicta A. Yabut, officer-in-charge of the Demographic and Social Statistics Division of the National Statistics Office, during her recent visit in Davao City.
By 2010, she said, the number of Filipino elderly is expected to reach nine million.
And it's getting bigger. When the population of the country reaches 126 million by 2040, the figure of old folks will swell to 22 million.
"The Filipino average life expectancy in the year 1950 was 50 years old," reveals Dr Felicitas Artiaga-Soriano, assistant head of the Department of Psychiatry at Veterans Memorial Medical Center. "At present, Filipino male average life expectancy is 68.5 years old and that of the Filipino female is 72.8 years old."
No one can escape aging. Some people die younger while others die older.
"Aging is a simple fact of life -- a stage we all lead to," said Dr Artiaga-Soriano. "After the period of young adulthood, which seems brief to many, the aging process begins."
Many senior citizens, as they more now known, embrace life with surprising gusto, "but most people don't appreciate aging the way they should," Dr. Artiaga-Soriano said. "But if we acknowledge the fact that we're going to get older and embrace the aging process, we can enjoy our lives from 60 years of age and up."
A study conducted by the University of the Philippines showed that older folks are considered as assets and not as liabilities.
For instance, the elderly can take care of the young members of the family when both parents are at work and especially those who opted to become overseas Filipino workers.
Elizabeth Arden once said: "I'm not interested in age. People who tell their age are silly. You're only as old as you feel."
Oscar winner George Burns, who lived more than a hundred years, said "Age to me means nothing. I can't get old; I'm working. I was old when I was twenty-one and out of work. As long as you're working, you stay young. When I'm in front of an audience, all that love and vitality sweeps over me and I forget my age."
Bernard M. Baruch quipped, "To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am." Bill Clinton, one of America's youngest presidents, said: "When our memories outweigh our dreams, we have grown old."
Another US president, Thomas Jefferson, thinks otherwise: "Too old to plant trees for my own gratification, I shall do it for my posterity."
Yes, no one wants to grow old. British playwright George Bernard Shaw declared: "We grow old because we stop playing!"
American writer Washington Irving noted: "Whenever a man's friends begin to compliment him about looking young, he may be sure that they think he is growing old." And Hy Gardner argued: "You know you're getting old when everything hurts. And what doesn't hurt doesn't work."
C.S. Lewis penned: "When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am 50, I read them openly. When I became a man, I put away childish things -- including the fear of childishness and the desire to be grown-up."
Susan Roces, the Filipina actress who was once described as having "a face that refreshes," is still lovely as ever. Now 65, she is one of the most beautiful stars in the Philippines. "I'd like to think that I have aged gracefully," she said.
Dr. Artiaga-Soriano shares some recommendations on how you can age gracefully and enjoy the changes to the fullest:
1. Accept aging as a fact of life and embrace it. Always think about those who will never have the opportunity to age.
2. Surround yourself with family and friends.
3. Remember that your age is just a number, not who you are.
Don't allow yourself to be defined as "old." And, most importantly, don't define yourself as old! The old age, "You're only as old as you feel" is right on the money.
4. Understand that aging lends an air of respect, dignity and wisdom. Feel good about it. Your aging will be seen as a good thing in the eyes of others. Make sure you view your aging in the same way.
5. Do everything you can to "stay young." Staying young (not feeling old!) isn't the same thing as preventing aging. Far from it. Aging is simply growing older. Aging can't be prevented (and we shouldn't want to stop aging lest we get what we ask for). You can, however, do things to help you "stay young."
6. Exercise and eat healthy meals. Regular workouts and proper nutrition help keep the body young.
7. Don't smoke or indulge in strong beverages. These are the two leading causes of serious health problems that will make you feel and look old.
8. Visit your doctor regularly and follow his advice. If there's a problem, catch it early and take care of it before it takes care of you.
9. Keep doing what you enjoy. Play tennis, watch a movie, go on a cruise. Doing things that you enjoy will keep you happy, healthy, and feeling and looking young. You'll still age, but you won't feel old.
10. Never stop working! When you reach retirement age, don't retire, unless you have to. If you're forced to retire, do it, and then promptly get another job that you'll love doing. Many people retire and promptly go downhill emotionally and physically.
Retirement is for old. But you're aging, not getting old, remember?
A study, which appeared in the recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, disclosed that physically active elderly are more likely to live longer than their inactive counterparts.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (September 16, 2006 issue)
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