Artfully, or not so artfully, dodging the aging issue

While waiting in my dentist’s office, the recent issue of TIME MAGAZINE grabbed my attention with its cover story: “HOW TO LIVE LONGER, BETTER* *(You’re still going to die, though).”  Having had a significant birthday recently, I felt compelled to read this article word for word, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph. Here is a statistic from that article: “Life expectancy in the U.S. exceeds the global average, clocking in at just under 79 years.” WHEW! I made it.
    I cannot decide whether I was surprised or enlightened by some of the research:
    • A “2017 study in the journal Personal Relationships found that it can be friends, not family, who matter most…”  
    • Seniors love city living. Check this out: “In the U.S., 80% of people ages 65 and older are now living in metropolitan areas…”  
    • “Excessively happy people may ignore real threats and fail to take precautions or follow medical advice. It’s okay to fret — if in a responsible manner.”
    I have my own commandments for artfully dodging the aging issue. Here is one of them: Stay engaged daily with activities that are meaningful and with people who are fun and motivating. There is no divide between the younger or older generations. There is so much to learn. I was thrilled when I discovered this.
    So, for me, living longer is not as much a priority as living better and I am speaking for all of us that are more seasoned when I say that no one needs to remind us that we are going to die at some point, do they?