From my social media posts 1/28/2023:
After my serendipitously free iced decaf latte experience yesterday I visited with an elderly lady, Ms. Bernie Shotts, I see once a week to help with a few tasks that have gotten beyond her. I helped her pay some bills, took her to the bank and to the pharmacy. When we finished at the pharmacy she asked, “are you in a hurry?” “No,” I said. “Is there somewhere else you’d like to go?” “Can we just go for a ride?” she asked. “Sure. Where would you like to go- downtown, out in the country, or to the beach?” “To the beach,” she said. So we headed out Hwy 98, then along Front Beach Rd to its far end near the Walton County line, then back along PC Beach Parkway, a leisurely drive of a couple of hours. We talked. We laughed. We enjoyed the scenery. We shared observations about our relationships with God. She shared childhood memories. She talked about the challenges of living into her 90’s and the joy of the handful of friends she has, as well as the surprise of receiving a Christmas card last week from a long- silent nephew. When we returned to her house she said, “ I hope when you’re 92 you have someone to take you for a ride.” It’s always little things that reveal the things we truly value…….
I hope I do, too, Ms. Bernie.
I was listening to a TED talk from Jan 28, 2017 tonight about the factors that contribute to longevity. The chart produced from a long term study was quite revealing of the things that have the greatest determining contribution to living to 100. By far the strongest indicators of longevity are both social factors. Look how far down the line overweight and exercise are by comparison. Number one, social interaction is how much you interact with people as you move through your day. How many people do you talk to in a day? Not just the close intimate clutch of 3-4 people who are confidantes or you’r “go to” friends or family for things youj need or for heartfelt communication. Do you speak to service workers, neighbors, strangers at the grocery store, etc. the more interactive you are socially, the better you feel about having a few close people to count on,, the longer you are likely to live.
