I had an exceptional experience yesterday.  I shared lunch with a centenarian.  Actually a group of us celebrated his 100th birthday with him here in Victoria, BC.  I can’t tell you who he is because of privacy concerns, but I can tell you he looked wonderful.  He stood ramrod straight and was able to tell us his life experiences without skipping a bit – on his feet for 15 minutes yet!  What is his secret?  Well I don’t know.  But I know he is still actively doing volunteer work at a hospital.  Perhaps that is the real story.  If you want to stay young and healthy forever, you must stay engaged.  You have to keep doing something useful and meaningful.  I really don’t think you can live a healthy life in your later years by just playing golf.  Unless you are a pro golfer perhaps.

This birthday boy has outlived two wifes.  Is it nature or nurture? Or both?

Anyway, that experience has intrigued me so much that I have been Googling for information on centenarians.  You can do that too and find some interesting Web sites.  I wonder in another 20 years how many more people will live to at least 100.  Perhaps reaching 100 years old will not longer be such news in another 20 years.  May be reaching 110 will be news.  That brings up another thought: How are we going to support ourselves if our life span keeps expanding?  How is that going to affect society and our economy?  Can we afford to work to only 65 (or even 70) and will have saved or invest sufficiently to live in comfort for another 30 or 40 years?  I somehow don’t think so.  Scarcely thought.  What impact will that have on our life style.  Do you know most companies don’t even provide pension plan benefits any more?

What do you think?

Here’s an interesting video. Do watch it!  It’s not a sales pitch:

PS: Personally, I do not believe in retirement. I think retirement is detrimental to my health.

NB: – This blog is by Leo Lee AMP.  He is a licensed independent mortgage broker in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.  Leo provides professional advice on real estate financing for residential, commercial and industrial properties.  Leo works for you, not the lenders. He is also an approved mortgage agent for the Tax Deductible Mortgage Plan (TDMP.  His blog and Web site are dedicated to providing the public useful and timely information on mortgages, interest rate, real estate, personal finance, money and the Canadian economy.