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Poll: How old do you want to live to be? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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John Cutler 
Spain
Local time: 20:43
Spanish to English
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| Tough question | Jun 5, 2007 |
This is one of those tough questions. Who doesn’t want to live a long, healthy, productive life? Perhaps the key words are “healthy” and “productive”. If living to 100 (like my great-grandmother did) means sitting around and drooling and talking about what I did when I was 7, I’m not the least bit interested.
Both my parents are in their 80s now and doing fairly well as far as health goes. If I live as long as them, and in the same state of well-being, I’ll be happy.
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| Content, always content | Jun 5, 2007 |
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away."
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Özden Arıkan
Germany
Local time: 20:43
Member
English to Turkish
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You didn't expect me to choose one among the numbers as the "age I want to die", did you? And I certainly wouldn't want to surrender to fate. So I chose "I don't know". Nor do I want to think about it.
Have nothing to add on what John has said, though:
If living to 100 means sitting around and drooling and talking about what I did when I was 7, I’m not the least bit interested.
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Agnieszka Hayward (X)
Poland
Local time: 20:43
German to Polish
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| Quantity vs. Quality again | Jun 5, 2007 |
Mary Catherine Brix wrote:
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away."
Beautiful. Nothing more to add.
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| At a minimum: enough to be sure that my children will be fine and happy | Jun 5, 2007 |
To me the most important aspect now is being assured that my children are doing fine professionally and are happy in their lives. Living until that moment is my minimum. That means some 30 years from now approximately.
Any time over that mark will be very welcome, as both myself and my wife have tons of things we want to do together or independently but never have time for!
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Irene N
United States
Local time: 13:43
English to Russian
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| That's what we all think when we are young and strong | Jun 5, 2007 |
John Cutler wrote:
If living to 100 (like my great-grandmother did) means sitting around and drooling and talking about what I did when I was 7, I’m not the least bit interested.
but when the time comes, no matter how ill and miserable h/h might seem from the outside, every human grabs on to life frantically, just to feel the warmth of the sunlight and take another breath one extra time. Nothing can be more natural. Any early judgments are... quite naive, the least to say. Let's wait and see what life brings us and be grateful for what we already had and have:-)
I'd say - don't tempt your fortune. I don't want to answer this question:-)
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| Worry not over what transcends us | Jun 5, 2007 |
There are so many concerns and worries that can afflict a person in life, so my personal philosophy has always been not to worry about what I have no say over: the amount of traffic on the road, the weather, the way people look at me..., and also how long I live.
Life a good life, live it for others and the Creator, and everything will fall into place!
[Edited at 2007-06-05 15:50]
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| A lot more to life than "productive quotient" | Jun 5, 2007 |
John Cutler wrote:
This is one of those tough questions. Who doesn’t want to live a long, healthy, productive life? Perhaps the key words are “healthy” and “productive”. If living to 100 (like my great-grandmother did) means sitting around and drooling and talking about what I did when I was 7, I’m not the least bit interested.
My grandmother is near that age, and greatly reduced in her functions, yet she enjoys her little life, and we love watching her enjoy it. "Love" seems a far more important judge of life than "productivity."
As long as one lives, there is the possibility of loving and being loved. And as one of my good friends with Down syndrome shows, often the least "productive" lives materially speaking are most meaningful, the lives that give most meaning to others, to their families. They are the ones that produce the most love, and never once would we think of doing without them.
[Edited at 2007-06-05 15:58]
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| Quality of life | Jun 5, 2007 |
This question becomes less amusing the older one actually gets. Many people in the UK now live to a very old age, but the quality of their lives is appalling - more of a living death than a life. I saw it happen to my mother. Her life was so wretched that she just wanted to die - the inexorable destruction of a beautiful and talented woman. Of course some very old people do continue to live happy lives and I hope I'll be one of them - but I'd rather not think about it.
Cheerfully,
Jenny
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Yaotl Altan
Mexico
Local time: 12:43
Member (2006)
English to Spanish
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| more than 1000 | Jun 5, 2007 |
I want to reach 100 y.o. but in good phyisica and mental conditions.
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I think that's a great age to die - you get to have grandchildren and even great grandchildren, you get to see how the universe evolves and you also evolve yourself. I always say we keep growing and learning until we die, no matter at what age we die. I also like the idea that I will get to go more places and see more things if I live longer.
But I do have my conditions. I want to live healthy, even when I get old. I am not asking for my breasts to stay where they are now or for my ... See more I think that's a great age to die - you get to have grandchildren and even great grandchildren, you get to see how the universe evolves and you also evolve yourself. I always say we keep growing and learning until we die, no matter at what age we die. I also like the idea that I will get to go more places and see more things if I live longer.
But I do have my conditions. I want to live healthy, even when I get old. I am not asking for my breasts to stay where they are now or for my hair to stay brown or for my skin to stay smooth - I think it is perfectly fine to look your age. But I do want to be able to use my legs to get to places and even bike and hike and I want to be able to be there where people who matter to me are (no missing my grandchild's graduation because I'm stuck in the hospital). I certainly don't want to become a burden on my family either. So, provided I am reasonably healthy, I would love to live long - but not if I have to spend time in a hospital and not at the expense of taking a handful of medication each day.
I noticed how 17% of us said they want to live past 100 - I don't see the point. I think the only way that is possible is with surgery, medication and treatments that are only meant to keep an old person young physically, which goes against nature and creates illusions that can easily disappoint, both socially and healthwise. I don't believe in extreme longevity - when life becomes a struggle and all we do is sit all day on the porch with an aching back, a diaper and chewing on aspirin, there's no point in being alive. Also, living too old comes with a risk, the risk of seeing and living through things that we'd rather not see or live through - catastrophes due to global warming, war, famine and all the devastating things the human race is working so hard at creating as we speak. I certainly don't want to be there when our governments or companies (!) pick and choose who gets to move on another planet and who stays here to die on a planet Earth stripped of everything we need to stay alive. ▲ Collapse
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Laura Gentili
Italy
Local time: 20:43
Member (2003)
English to Italian
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And in the end,
it's not the years in your life that
count.
It's the life in your years.
I don't know who the original author is. I found it in the Website of a girl who died of Ewing's Sarcoma at age 12, was very much loved and enjoyed life as much as she could.
I chose "What fate allows". However, I would love to hold my grandchildren in my arms, one day. Given that my triplets are only 8, that might take a long time.
Laura
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| If I am healthy and independant | Jun 5, 2007 |
I could go on for ever, but if I am sick, have to rely on others to change my diaper, etc., I'd rather leave early.
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