According to HealthDay News more Americans are living to 90 and beyond. They estimate by 2050 the number could reach nine million. Since the 1980 census the nonagenarian population has tripled from 720,000 to 1.9 million in 2010. I recently read an article discussing a Danish research report that indicated people living into their 90’s are mentally sharper than nonagenarians born a decade earlier. The report attributes their findings to improved nutrition, vaccinations and intellectual stimulation. The report is quite interesting, but I’ll spare you further details and move on to my point of this blog.
I’ve been working with a nonagenarian the past few weeks that supports these findings. Let’s call him Mr. B. I don’t know him very well, but I eagerly look forward to our time together. He’s one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever had the pleasure of spending time. You may be skeptical of the word “fascinating” to describe a 90 year old man, so let me share some bullet points to support my adjective.
• He’s working over 20 hours a week. I know of no other 90 year old doing that.
• He has traveled the world – for example…
• He’s been to the Artic.
• He’s been to Antarctica.
• He’s been to the Galapagos Islands.
• He’s crossed the equator at least six times.
• He’s been to Australia and New Zealand multiple times.
• He served his country in the U.S. Navy in World War II
• In his day he was a world-class double black diamond skier.
• He’s a superb story teller and movie critic.
• He has more common sense than most people have sense.
• He never gets rattled when pressure situations arise
• He has a smile that lights up a room and sly grin that reminds one of the proverbial cat and the canary.
• His dry sense of humor is only surpassed by his quick wit.
• He is a connoisseur of fine cocktails
• Did I mention he is 90?
These trips he has made weren’t 50 years ago; they were within the last 10-15 years. He is usually the elder statesman of any Lindblad Expedition. He doesn’t go on cruise liners, his traveling vessels are sailing ships that carry about 100 passengers. He selects these beautiful ships because he is able to get to know the crew and companion travelers better.
He will share stories with me and I will ask, “When was this, a few years ago?” He will reply, “No, that was April, 1947.” His mind reminds me of a swan on a lake. On the outside the swan gracefully glides along the water’s surface, but underneath the water, out of sight, the swan is paddling rapidly. That’s the way it is with his brain. We will discuss something one day and two days later he will bring the topic back up to make another point or to clarify something. My brain can’t store that much information, nor recall it, if I had to do so.
Why am I sharing this information about this particular nonagenarian? Because he has enriched my life in the few short weeks I’ve come to know him. He has caused me to pause, listen, watch and learn. He has shared his adventures and made me want to be more adventurous. He has seen more, experienced more, and truly lived more, which has made me want to live my life as Mr. B has lived his.
As one might imagine, he downplays his accomplishments, his travel and his savoir-faire. He pushes any credit and any attention away from himself. He doesn’t profess or pontificate, but rather lives his life with grace and dignity. I wish for each of you the joy of meeting a person like Mr. B. I feel so blessed to have met him and so grateful for what he has taught me. He is indeed one in a million. Actually, according to the facts I listed above, he is one in almost two million. And frankly, that statistic fits Mr. B to a T!
Until next time…