Route 66 Installment #63: the end of the route (and the start of a new one)

1. My birthday is Friday, February 10th.

I turn 67. So, technically, although I spent the past year heading down the metaphorical Route 66, I’m now ready to get on a new highway.

• I will keep writing about aging with purpose, gusto, health, and relevance. (I have the trademark for The Silver Hair Playbook™: How to Be a Bad-Ass >50™ and plan to put it to good use. Stay tuned.)
• I will continue to call out ageism when I see it and inspire young people to embrace the aging process and welcome older and experienced people into their communities and workplaces.
• Most importantly, I will keep my own mind, body, and community in the best possible shape, exploring new ideas and places and learning from ALL people.

Why? Because I will live to be 100 (at least).

Welcome to…

According to Pew Research, in 1990, only 95K people lived to be 100.

By 2050, that’s expected to grow to about 4 million (3,676,000).

That means that over the next 33 years, I will be doing everything in my power to remain alive, curious, and vital to celebrate with the other 3,675,999 people on earth.

Longevity is Not Enough

Genes, a healthy lifestyle, positive thinking, low stress, the right friends and work, the right amount of sleep, and just basic luck are all factors that will guide me through the next 33.

I think I’m doing pretty well on the genes front. My grandmother and mother lived to 99 and 95, respectively. (At 99, Nana Molly said she would buy a motorcycle “if she were a couple years younger.”) But even if you don’t have a stellar aging history in your family:

• Embrace technology in all its forms. AgeTech took center stage at CES and is now expected to become a $118 trillion source of revenue by 2050.
• Ensure that workplaces are truly diverse and inclusive, tackling the “final ‘ism” and busting the myths of what older people think/act/look/work like. Similarly, older people need to stop making snide comments about youth. Everyone can teach us something.
• Battle media stereotypes. I’m tired of seeing women in Depends, moaning about menopause. And comedies featuring women trying to re-capture their youths rather than creating a new era don’t interest me. We are building a new wiser reality.

Happy Birthday to Me!

So, how do I begin the next 33 years?

A hike, a martini at Houston’s (an annual tradition), and travel planning for the next few months seem like a good start. And, of course, I published this post.

I’m working out at least five days a week and tracking my sleep quality and other health measures on my Oura ring. I learn at least one new technology every month, read voraciously, do Wordle every morning, and stay connected to pop culture.

And, I surround myself with positive, insightful, reliable, uplifting, non-toxic, kind, and funny people of all ages and beliefs.

Follow me on this next phase of my journey. I view the end of Route 66 as the beginning of my initiation to the 100 Years Club.

Who’s in? I’d like to have at least a few people I know along with me for the ride!