Wrinklies' Wit & Wisdom Forever! [antikvár]

Introduction The human race is unique in its enlistment of grandparents into the work of rearing the young. Studies among indigenous tribes have proven that the presence of a grandmother within the family unit will greatly improve the survival rates of any children. This gives the human race an advantage over all other species, for improved survival rates lead to greater longevity, which in turn leads to more grandparents and so on and so on. This means that we have the audacious luck to live for twice as long as our nearest relative, the chimpanzee. The poor old female chimp expires shortly after she loses her fertility, while the human female could enjoy up to 50 years plus following the end of her fertile years. What a bonus! Life for the over 50s has never been better. Women can now expect to live well into their 80s with men following close on their heels. This has given birth to an anti-ageing fad which takes full advantage of this spectacular longevity. The cross-over from adulthood into old age is becoming progressively blurred. With the growing popularity and acceptabiHty of cosmetic surgery, many people now choose to deny the ageing process altogether (some with more success than others: Sharon Osbourne looks sensational, not so Jackie Stallone). We must not forget that the autumn years serve their own purpose and should be embraced. There is an African proverb that illustrates beautifuUy how other cultures elevate age: The death of an old person is like the loss of a library.'Western