Thoughts on Aging So Far:

I think this picture does a good job at identifying the perspective that I have received thus far about aging.

Aging to perfection.

I have been here three weeks and I still can say there has been very little sightings of really, really elderly and frail people. The older people, though, that I have met, talked to and observed have been lovely, full of wisdom, interesting and happily conversational.

This is a blanket statement of course, but it seems that the older people are so much friendlier than our American elderly. They also seem more active, mentally and physically.

At the Old Biscuit Mill, my favorite market, I struck up a conversation with this “elderly,” woman, Leigh. She is 73 and as you can see looks beautiful. She told me that because of the way the city is laid out, there are very few old people in the heart of Cape Town. Many will move out of the city. They may move to live with family or in a nursing home type of environment, but many migrate to “retirement villages!”

This caught my attention, as it’s the hope for what I want American aging to start gravitating towards. Yes, there are the traditional nursing homes outside the city here, but these villages are, in my opinion, the future of aging. And Cape Town is right there with it!

These retirement villages, supposedly, are not only a good option to foster community and create more meaning in old age, but they are way less expensive than traditional nursing homes. Because of this more people are interested in living in these villages. I really want to visit one. I’ll make that a goal.

During the Garden Route, Eon our tour guide, gave me his perspective and it really got me thinking. This is what I took from our conversation:

*Aging well is a priority. Not just those who are older. It is ingrained at an early age to take care of your body, feed it good food, exercise, be outside and be kind to it. While living a healthy life is important in American culture, it isn’t embodied by the masses. It seems much more mainstream to care about your health here and because of that is affects their aging.

*Many people live well into their 90s and still have a quality of life. He said he has taken plenty of 90 year olds on these type of Garden Route trips and they have traveled all over the world in their old age. That is SO impressive because these trips are physically draining, but also mentally as well. There is so much to take in and absorb. Amazing, but for sure hard for someone older.

*Good meals and good relaxation are a priority. Stress leads to “grey hairs” as he says, and because the lifestyle in South Africa values relaxation and living laid back, it carries that less stressful life into old age. As we know, stress is a huge impediment to successful aging.

*There still is the perception that it’s always important to respect your elders. They are looked up to and many take in their grandparents. It differs between ethnic groups though. EndFragment