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Ageing & Growing Old

Are you growing older?

  • Yes, I am

    Votes: 82 61.7%
  • No, I'm getting younger

    Votes: 28 21.1%
  • Sorry, I don't understand the question

    Votes: 16 12.0%
  • I'm a Mod; I think adding silly polls to chat threads is pointless

    Votes: 7 5.3%

  • Total voters
    133
The world's oldest practicing physician isn't planning to retire ...
World's oldest practicing doctor, 100, has no plans to retire

A 100-year-old Ohio man who holds the Guinness World Record for being the world's oldest practicing doctor said he has no plans to retire anytime soon.

Dr. Howard Tucker of Cleveland was initially certified as the world's oldest practicing doctor in February 2021, when he was 98 years and 231 days old. ...

Tucker, now 100, said he continues to work full time, with his typical day lasting from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. ...
FULL STORY: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/10/14/Guinness-World-Records-oldest-doctor/1401665763086/
 
I spotted this doing genealogy, as well.

My mum died aged 47. As did her mum. So you'd assume her direct line ancestors, farmers in all the villages round here right back to first page of many parish records here, were also shortlived. Because all her ancestors were concentrated in one part of Yorkshire, with the occasional foray maybe in another bit of Yorkshire, they were easy to trace in parish records (where burials sometimes give you cause of death, pre 1837 and certification).

But get back even just into the 19thC and there will be entire families born of 10 or more kids, in these farming families where every single one lives into their 80s... Every single person. And no infant deaths at all. Or one or two per generation. And seen this repeated across various branches of the family. In other words, my 20thC ancestors had lives almost only half as long as many of their ancestors.

You hear a lot about infant mortality but it's only really striking in parish records when there's say, an epidemic like smallpox, or whooping cough. Or in poorer families, sadly - the one line in my mum's immediate past who were labourers not farmers, had most of their kids die before age 2 or 3. But that was so unusual in the genealogy as to stand out.

Swathes of the population were less or unaffected by it. (I'm thinking rural parishes here - cities would be very different but of course pre Industrial Rev most people's ancestors are on the land).

Was at Vindolanda this week where they have an obscene number of Roman shoes - mainly discarded singletons. And it struck me how most looked like a modern size 5 or 6. Some, bigger. I always avoid that cliché when doing Living History about people being shorter in the past, as well. A lot might depend on nutrition and that wasn't always as bad as we'd imagine, for people in say the 18thC or 19thC.

Your life expectancy in a 19thC industrial city might be very short indeed. At the same date, your life expectancy in the countryside might be into your 80s.

A few years back I researched an 1830s' accident which had 3 survivors - all middle aged men, all working class - farm labourers. All three of the survivors lived well into their 80s.
Missed this strange coincidence Ghost. My wife also died at the age of 47 as did her mother. All their relatives have lived a normal lifespan.
 
He looks like a living skeleton. His colour indicates that he is close to death.
I guess he's trying that Buddhist self-mummification thing?
He is pretty aware of the girls around. If he is that close to dying, it must be a lucid moment.
 
People have started calling me 'Sir' a lot lately. I always have to check to see who is standing behind me.

It could be the top-hat, cravat and cane that does it I suppose.
I've found that, but they are spelling it cur. :)
 
People have started calling me 'Sir' a lot lately. I always have to check to see who is standing behind me.

It could be the top-hat, cravat and cane that does it I suppose.
They'd heard you'd been awarded a knighthood, but with the Queen dying, the letter was never sent out.
 
I decided to use a walking cane ( some just say “ stick “ ) to help my balance.

I found younger people let retail doors swing back on me, but occasionally an older person will hold the door for me.

I found the cane is good for getting hard to reach things off selves and I feel like a have a weapon against dogs.

Maybe I need a cane that turns into a sword like in the movies.
 
I decided to use a walking cane ( some just say “ stick “ ) to help my balance.

I found younger people let retail doors swing back on me, but occasionally an older person will hold the door for me.

I found the cane is good for getting hard to reach things off selves and I feel like a have a weapon against dogs.

Maybe I need a cane that turns into a sword like in the movies.
Perhaps a brelly will do as well.:cool:

https://images.app.goo.gl/2tCobabQ844Ysm8Y8
 
I decided to use a walking cane ( some just say “ stick “ ) to help my balance.

I found younger people let retail doors swing back on me, but occasionally an older person will hold the door for me.

I found the cane is good for getting hard to reach things off selves and I feel like a have a weapon against dogs.

Maybe I need a cane that turns into a sword like in the movies.
I reckon that makes sense CB - It's like having a third leg. I'm an Australian so I always carry a stick ( refer D. Adams).
 
It is just above freezing in the flat, I've taped up the windows to stop the draughts, I sit in a shawl and blankets, I sleep with two duvets and a cover - just like last winter. I have just now spotted two hot water bottles in the spare room - how could I have possibly forgotten about hot water bottles !!?
 
Bad Bungle do you wear fluffy socks to bed? Also do you have a microwave? I find that a heat bag heated for 2 minutes is still warm the next morning in bed.
 
It is just above freezing in the flat, I've taped up the windows to stop the draughts, I sit in a shawl and blankets, I sleep with two duvets and a cover - just like last winter. I have just now spotted two hot water bottles in the spare room - how could I have possibly forgotten about hot water bottles !!?
Just above freezing is no fun - do you not have some heating you can switch on or are you keeping it off for cost reason? I’m using heating very sparingly but when it got to 11º I put it on for a while. I’m wearing 4 layers as well. It’s a sorry state of affairs..
 
The three stages of aging:

- At first, shopkeepers would ask me if I wanted a senior's discount. I was quite offended. I'm not that old! I don't even have a senior's card!

- Then I did get a senior's card. I would ask for the discount. At least the shopkeepers demanded to see my card to prove I was eligible.

- Nowadays I get senior's discount without having to ask for it....
 
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