I'll admit here to the five people who regularly read this column that perhaps I went in a little fired up for my interview with Dr Norman Swan.
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I know as journalists we should remain subjective when we're talking to people. It's not my place to say I completely disagree with what you're saying, you have no idea what you're talking about, this is what I think you mean.
We're here to listen and report the facts truthfully and without favour. But sometimes I can't help myself.
I was talking to Swan, one of Australia's most trusted doctors and a voice of reason during the pandemic, about his new book So You Want to Live Younger Longer: The ultimate guide to longevity.
I wanted to take him to task about society's obsession with youth. Even the use of the phrase "live younger" in the book's title stirred me up.
To his credit, and with his trademark calming ways, Swan reassured me that the book, and all the useful information it contains, was more about being the healthiest you can be at any age.
And, I have to defer to him, it was about that. A guide, and a practical one, about all the things you can do to make sure you are healthy and fit and functional as you head towards old age.
It's just the use of the word "younger" which annoyed me. I'm 55. I'm glad I'm 55. Plenty of people I know haven't gotten this far. I'm embracing every day of being alive. Do I feel 37? I don't know. I can't really remember being 37.
I know I was tired, with a couple of small children at my feet. Was my life better at 23, or 49? I can't say. I just like the age I am now. I've always thought that way.
Much of this angst, in recent years at least, has come from my rare forays into the online dating world. Frank looks nice, and he's a respectable 59.
But look, people tell him he's more like a 30 year old. Kev has a cheeky grin, but he feels like a teenager. What does that even mean? I'm after a man who accepts his age, is happy with it, and is proud to shout it from the rooftops.
But, in the end, they're all looking for 37 year olds anyway. So what's the point of even giving it a second thought? Apparently letting things go is a key factor in longevity, according to Swan.
For here's the thing, I don't fear getting old. It's going to happen. What's the alternative?
But apparently FOGO is a thing these days. According to a recent survey (which spookily lobbed in my inbox in the same week) from The CareSide, a West Australian company which provides in-home care to those in need, a large number of Australians have a fear of getting old.
Eighty-one per cent of us have a fear of cognitive and physical decline, 74 per cent fear our loss of independence, 66 per cent fear not having enough savings to retire comfortably.
According to research they linked to, only 23 per cent of Americans were worried about physical decline. It appears us Australians are worriers.
Mind you, perhaps we're also slightly optimistic about it too. Having more time for leisure and hobbies excited 72 per cent of us, not having to work brought a smile to 64 per cent of us.
And a penny-pinching 40 per cent were looking forward to those senior discounts. When do I qualify for that card?
From my perspective, I haven't let ageing change the way I live my life. Sure, it might take me a tad longer to recover from a game of hockey but I'm still playing. Hopefully adding something to the lives of my young teammates as they are to me.
I'm not afraid to learn new things, indeed have taken more responsibility for things in my life which, in my younger years, I may have deferred to other people. I'm still keen to explore the world, get to know new people, try new things.
I love that getting older has meant caring less about what other people think. If people don't like me for who I am then we were probably never meant to be friends in the first place. If we've only got so many years left to speak our truth, let it be told.
Whether I'll still feel this way in 20 years, who knows. Maybe your 50s are the sweet spot. I'm hoping my 60s are. Even beyond that.
But, as I asked Swan, even if we are healthy in mind and body, how many of us really want to live until we're 105. I'm just not sure I do. All I know is I want to live each day as it comes.