Super Aging: Getting Older Without Getting Old by David Cravit & Larry Wolf; Seattle, Washington: Flashpoint Books © 2023; ISBN 9781954-854864; 236 pages including references; $26.95 on Amazon.
SAN DIEGO – Authors David Cravit and Larry Wolf differentiate between “Default Aging” and “Super Aging.” The former style of aging is passive: You retire, take some vacations, become increasingly passive and irrelevant, fade into obscurity, and then die. It is what “retirement” has meant for too long a time, according to the authors.
On the other hand, “super aging” involves taking charge of your life after the so-called retirement age; finding a purpose, keeping well informed about health and fitness, being mentally active, and not letting anyone else define you by your age.
The authors have devised a list of seven ‘A’s’ as a guidebook to super aging: 1) Attitude; 2) Awareness; 3) Activity; 4) Accomplishment; 5) Autonomy; 6) Attachments and 7) Avoidance. Here’s a quick overview, but I recommend that you consult the book for all the many whys and wherefores.
Attitude – Essentially, you need to think that you are going to live a long time, perhaps to 100 or more, and therefore it’s time to set goals, make plans, and get on with what may the most exciting time of your life.
Awareness – Don’t wait for a doctor to tell you about your health; stay informed about keeping healthy. Don’t wait for a financial advisor to figure out how much money you’ll need to support yourself over a long period of time; find out for yourself. Be active, not passive in gathering the information you need for a longer life.
Activity – Exercise, be aware of your health indicators, keep mentally active.
Accomplishment –Continue your education, learn new skills, build new social networks, perhaps start a second business career, be of service to your community.
Autonomy – Fix up your home so you don’t have to move to some sort of institutional setting. Make sure your health care providers are in synch with your desire to live actively for a long time. Calibrate your financial plans to your long-life expectancy.
Attachments – Those who live with partners typically live longer because 1) they are not lonely; 2) partnership involves mutual health checks. Have a group of friends to socialize and be concerned with each other’s health.
Avoidance – The only negative “A” in the list. Protect yourself against scams. Resist ageism in the workplace and in the market place. Avoid those doctors and financial advisors whose outdated thinking would consign you to default aging rather than super aging.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor emeritus of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com