Yesterday, I turned 28 and, like my previous birthdays, usually between the blowing out of candles and shoveling my fat face with cake, I pondered my mortality. After all, on your birthday you're not a year older. You're a year closer. To dying.
When my great-grand aunt danced the mortal coil shuffle, she was three years shy of the big 1-0-0. At the wake, I marveled at her longevity. Since stepping off that slow boat ride from China, she had spent most of her life in Singapore, from when it was under British colonial rule to the Japanese occupation during World War II to its independence in 1965. Her life was nothing short of interesting.
Recently, I have been seeing a lot of reports about supercentenarians, or people who reach the age of 110 years or more. There's Texas' own Arbella Perkins Ewings, who died last month in a Dallas retirement home. She was 114. Edna Parker of Indiana, along with Maria de Jesus of Portugal, are currently the world's two oldest women - Parker at 115 and de Jesus at 114 - but the gold standard for the longest documented lifespan belongs to Jeanne Calment of France. She was 122 years old at her death.
It seems a little morbid, but I have a hunch that somewhere out there's a betting pool going on among these supercentenarians.
It's human nature not to give in to old age and death. As time wears at you like a relentless wave against a cliff, you contemplate holding onto your youth. Perhaps a little botox, a tuck or two, several staplings and surgery to pull back your face so you can look like a grinning rictus, but at least a youthful grinning rictus. And that's just the exterior. If you really want to get to the bottom of the whole longevity deal, you need to delve deeper.
Barbara Walters did a report on the secrets to living longer. She interviewed scientists who said in the next few years, they would come up with a drug that will treat several major diseases of aging. The drug is based on resveratrol found in red wine. Finally - justification for being an Olympic-grade alcoholic.
Walters also interviewed a group of calorie restrictors, who watch what they eat by maximizing the "nutrient density" of their food intake. The calorie restrictors, who often chug along on less than 1,000 calories per day, claimed they have more energy, improved eyesight and memory.
Biogerontologists have long been trying to discover the key to extending life. Some point to improvements in the standard of living in developed countries. Others point to good genes or a healthy diet. Some biomedical gerontologists believe that the answers to halting the aging process lie in stem cells research.
Whatever the magic answers are, it's currently estimated that there are more than 84,000 people in America who are at least 100 years old. And that number of centenarians keeps rising.
I want a long life, as interesting as my great-grand aunt's. I want to see how this crazy, mixed-up world turns out. But regardless of lifespan, maybe it's better to have a full life, a good life. It's like that old joke about a man who gives up sex, smoking and booze so he can live longer. His friend turns to him and says, "No sex, no smoking, no booze? Why do you even bother living?"
Cheong is a screenwriting graduate student.
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