I thought about this ( I have twelve years on you, but I am a pretty healthy athlete) and damned near put this thought in an article which got me at least one very nasty response.

While this is tough to ponder, the simple truth is that Nature knows precisely what she’s doing. Whether we like or not she’s very adept at cleaning house where it needs to be cleaned. However, the one thing that I might note- and I am sure it occurs to you too- is that older folks also are the holders of the wisdom. Not all of us, and frankly, not enough of us are committed to giving back which is our sacred duty. So a part of me wonders, and I have no idea, whether what could be a rather significant house cleaning takes care of those who tend to be parasitic (the world owes me a living) those who refused to take decent care of themselves (to your point about health care costs). There would be some sad instances where damned valuable people who had the lousy luck to inherit shit genes would be among those lost. Hell, me too. I don’t own a corner of the immunity geography.

Years ago George Carlin thought that AIDS was going to be the pandemic that cleaned house. As a fan of the rather macabre, he actually welcomed it. At some level so do I. I am no fan of these ridiculous movements around living forever or aging as a disease. When people live too long- AND they don’t continue to add value, solve problems, produce something valuable, and I most certainly include myself in this grouping- it’s time to head out, folks. Make room. Life continues and some point it needs to continue without us. If ever I become parasitic, which I define as sucking up resources but not giving value, please pull the plug. If that is done by virus, fine by me. There are other adventures ahead, whatever they may be. I am still immensely vital, active and producing, but none of those things buys me a ticket forward. And while I don’t agree with some kid who said that everyone over seventy needed to be euthanized (wait a while sonny and see how you feel about that at seventy) I do thing that living longer in and of itself isn’t that great an option. Living well, being of service, contributing signficantly which is our job as we age, is another thing entirely. That way old age is earned. Part of me thinks it should be. But I can only speak for myself.