WHILE eating in a sidewalk restaurant, I was amused as a brilliantly dressed young man came walking among the tables. With a wide smile on his face and a rhythmical swing of his head, he kept time with the intriguing music flowing from his accordion. He was a clever chap and he seemed to play with the greatest of ease. Sometimes in short, quick thrusts and again in long, slow, expansive draws, he brought out some of the most beautifully played melodies we had ever heard.
Life is very much like an accordion. You can stretch it out, or you can compress it as you choose.
This matter of choosing begins early in life. During our early years we lay the foundation of later life, putting in solid material that can withstand the rigors and stresses of fruitful living, or laying the groundwork that readily decays and deteriorates. The most appropriate time to prepare for retirement is in childhood and youth.
The aging process is currently being studied by many scientists. Investigation thus far indicates that longevity is related to a simple diet, adequate exercise, freedom from excessive stress, and trust in divine power.
Although many have attempted to develop an effective elixir of youth, to find a fountain of eternal youth, or to synthesize a serum to delay the aging process, astute scientists have suggested possible ways whereby man's decline in physical and mental capacity can be controlled. The late Dr. Clive McKay, of Cornell University, demonstrated that the length of rats' lives could be extended 33 percent by reducing their total caloric intake. In some areas, people have been found to reach ages considerably greater than 100 years. These people were found to eat less, have diets comprised of less than 2 percent dairy products, live in rural areas, and engage in physical labor all their lives with out resorting to retirement.
It has been observed that few, if any, of those reaching 100 years are obese. Dr. Nathan Shock has said that the elimination of obesity while maintaining a balanced diet does more to lengthen life than any other single factor. As body weight increases, so does one's tendency to develop heart disease, diabetes, and a number of other degenerative diseases.
Health and vigor can be measured to a great extent by the capacity of the body to transport oxygen. This facility is enhanced by regular exercise, which strengthens the heart, improves the elasticity of the blood vessels, and reduces nervous tension.
Modern civilization takes a heavy toll upon those who have contrived it. Men do not grow old in the way that animals do, for in animals all organs grow old together. Mankind's stress and unnatural living cause individual organs to wear out at different times. Health and vigor follow the axiom "A chain is no stronger than its weakest link." As organs weaken and tissue breaks down, disease and disability result.
Our problem is not to rejuvenate the oldsters or to bring new life to those who have lost it, but to help young people grow old gracefully, happily, and normally. Moses, one of the greatest military leaders this world has ever known, an outstanding administrator, and God's mouthpiece as the father of preventive medicine, grew old in just this way. When he died at the age of 120 years "his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated" (Deut. 34:7).
The ninetieth Psalm, which has been accredited to Moses, speaks of the frailty and brevity of life. It was not Cod's plan that "the days of our years are threescore years and ten" (Ps. 90:10). Man has reduced his length of life through his habits of living.
It is not necessary for men and women to die of diseases of old age while still in their youth. Medical science has practically removed the threat of communicable dis eases as destroyers of our children. Many of our infectious diseases have been eliminated as a result of enforcement of sanitary and health legislation. Habits of living require individual choice. Good living habits are the key to longevity, the answer to man's quest for fullness of days, the preparation most needed for successful retirement.
The optimal time to plan for retirement is now. Plan ahead. Robert Browning penned, "Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be." In order for the later years to be best the greatest and the most meaningful of one's entire experience provisions must be made for them in advance.
Do not fear the prospects of loneliness, the uselessness of in activity, or the futility of senility. Look forward to the future with optimism, plan for useful and satisfying activities, develop a schedule that allows time to pour out yourself for others. Include in your planning viable ties with family and friends, with time to perform the niceties your life's work has not allowed.
Then your retirement years can truly be the golden years.
