When you were younger (30's/40's), did you ever think that you would live to see 2022? For myself, I really never gave it a thought. And, during most of my younger years, the only Seniors I knew were my step-parents. Now, when I asked my wife "did you think you would live to see 74?", she told me "absolutely not". Not that she was doing anything that would keep her from seeing 74, she simply didn't think she would. How about you?
Nope, i had myself pegged for 70 at the most. Mainly because my immediately family did not live long. But if i make to August, i will have lived 4 more years than most. My living circumstances are different than my parents were. If make to 80- am screwed- will be outta money
When I was younger I thought 50 was old and now I'm almost 30 years past that. My mother passed at 88 and my father at 80, but damn it, I'm hanging on as long as I can. What's equally important as longevity is the robustness of your health in later years. Rocking chairs suck.
Nope, I expected to pass at 50 or so, as both my parents died at 45. My brother and I both figure we are on borrowed time, but still going.
With today's society the way it is, wonder how many Millennials and Generation X will live to be our age?
@Cody Fousnaugh they will have the option to live almost forever. Cloning for one thing comes to mind. Or they can can chose to have a robot made of their likeness with some human body parts to make them - um whole. Possibilities will be endless- provided Earth is even here.
My mom and dad were both well into their 80’s when they passed away, within a month of each other; and my grandfather was in his 90’s. I guess I didn’t really think much about being old when I was younger, but would have to say that I did expect to live a long life. My parents were in their 40’s by the time that I was born, so I grew up with older parents, and they were both in their 70’s before my kids were around. They were always busy and owned/managed a small older hotel right up until they died.
I saw this as a comment on a Youtube classic rock video recently... "Being 20 in the Seventies was a lot more fun than being 70 in the Twenties. Rock on!"
I'm the same as @Don Alaska. I've mentioned the short lifespans of the men in my family before: -Dad died at 55 -Older brother died at 53 -Younger brother died just as he turned 60 All of them cancer. I'll be 68 this summer, and I am shocked that I've lived this long.
My age hit me in the face in the working world, when I suddenly realized that recent college grads saw me as that old guy who had been around forever...and it churned up memories of those I had viewed that way many years earlier.
I never thought I would live this long, when I was young, I was sure I would never see thirty. Here I am over twice that age.
I just today learned, quite by accident, that my great-grandfather lived to be 97 yrs old (he passed away in the late 1950s). Was that kind of unusual?
"Average lifespan" has gone up over time as childhood diseases (and their attendant mortality rates) have been addressed, so the increase as measured that way makes it seem as though people are living longer, when in reality there are fewer dying at a young age (no longer dragging down the average.) Casualties of war drag down the average lifespan for that generation; conversely, fewer wars (especially with less infantry action) make the average lifespan increase (on a relative basis.) What really tells the tale is life expectancy once you survive beyond a given age. That is difficult data to find. I was able to find statements that the percentage of the population that lives to be 95 years old these days is 1.5%, so even today 97 years old is unusual. One would assume it was more unusual back then. (Man, it sure took me a long time to make that point.)
My dad, both grandads and most uncles in my family died of heart disease in their 50s. I’m 74 too and I never thought I would make it this long because I have problematic blood lipid/cholesterol profiles combined with family history. I’m very surprised I’m here. Who would have guessed? I did most of the things I had any burning desire to do when I was younger, not hard since I live mostly in my head.