April 01, 2011

Author and humorist Richard Lederer just turned 73 years old, and he celebrated by writing a book titled “The Gift of Aging: Wit and Wisdom, Information and Inspiration for the Chronically Endowed and Those Who Will Be” (Portland, Ore.: Marion Street Press, 2010). Asked what message he would like to deliver to long-term care providers, he struck an optimistic note and offered this adaptation of parts from his book.

Americans grow happier as they grow older, according to a recent University of Chicago study that is one of the most thorough examina­tions of happiness ever conducted in the United States. Starting in 1972, the re­searchers asked a large cross section of Americans the question, “Taken all to­gether, how would you say things are these days – would you say that you are very happy, pretty happy, or not too hap­py?” Consistently, older people expressed more happiness than did younger ones.

<[stk -3]>In 2008, an extensive telephone survey of 340,000 Americans aged 18-85 con­firmed the results of the University of Chicago study. The data, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, revealed that, on average, feel­ings of stress and inadequacy increase from ages 18 to 50, after which feelings of well-being steadily take center stage. The upshot is that most people are happier in their early 80s than they are in their 30s. <[etk]>

Dr. Lederer

Hence, dear reader, if you happen to be under 50 and feeling gloomy, look on the bright side: You have years of old age to look forward to. As they grow older, Americans also grow wiser. A recent University of Michigan study has been called “the single best demonstration of a long-held view that wisdom increases with age.” Responding to narratives of social conflict, the participants 60 and older showed a better ability to recog­nize others’ values and points of view and to accept change and uncertainty. In other words, as we age, we accumulate social wisdom.

<[stk -1]>I’m button-burstingly proud to an­nounce that I recently turned 73 years of youth. Now that I’ve passed through the portal of my biblical threescore years and 10, I’ve reached the point in my life when I have stopped lying about my age. Rather, I brag that I am so full of years. I’m no longer a spring chicken; I’m a win­ter chicken. I’m no longer wet behind the ears; I’m dry behind the years. I’m no longer knee high to a grasshopper; I’m sky high above a grasshopper. I’m not a has-been; I’m an about-to-be. Yay! Yippee! Huzzah! Woo-hoo! What a ride!<[etk]>

Some of us try to turn back our life’s odometer. Others of us want people to know why we look this way. We admit that we have bumps and dents and scratches in our finish, and the paint job is getting a little dull. And sure, the fend­ers are too wide to be in style, and our seats are sagging. The battery no longer holds a charge, and the headlights have dimmed. The hoses are brittle, and much of the original tire tread is worn away. The transmission stays in low gear and doesn’t easily shift to high. Climbing any hill is liable to cause sputtering. And whenever we sneeze or cough, our ra­diator seems to leak.

But you know what? We’ve traveled many, many miles, and some of the roads weren’t paved. Wisdom and laugh­ter are our shock absorbers. We’ve be­come classics. And we’re not alone: In 2011, the year this book is being pub­lished, 518 million men and women worldwide are 65 or older, including 1 out of every 8 people in the United States.

<[stk -2]>While grow­ing older is mandatory, feel­ing old is op­tional. Attitude is ageless. More than 2 millennia ago, the Greek playwright Sophocles wrote: “One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day has been.” Only at sunset is the day truly golden. The lat­er the hour of the day, the longer the shadow you cast. Gentle Reader: You’ll never be younger again than you are right now! You may be over the hill, but that’s better than being under the hill – and it’s not till you’re going downhill that you really pick up speed! Birthdays are good for you: The more of them you have, the longer you live. The poet Robert Browning wrote, “Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be. The last of life, for which the first was made.” <[etk]>

There is only one way to live a long life, and that is to age. And there is only one way to age – with a smile. If you are able to laugh at yourself, you’ll never cease to be amused. After all, you’re only old once.<[qm]><[stk -82]><[scs 115]><[etk]>

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Dr. Lederer received his doctorate in linguistics and is the author of more than 35 books about language, history, and humor, including his best-selling Anguished English series. He contributes to many newspapers and magazines and frequently appears on radio as a commentator on language. Signed and inscribed copies of “The Gift of Age” are available from Dr. Lederer at richard.lederer@pobox.com. His Web site is www.verbivore.com.

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