See, most of the 70 - 80-year olds I know are busy, active, loving life, traveling, sharp as tacks. But my relations and elderly friends have generally lived into their late eighties and nineties. My mother passed away at 84, but she literally was on a Panama Canal cruise two months before her death, seemingly is perfect health. Life did not slow down for until just a few weeks before she died. My dad is 88 and still drives, lives independently, and his mind may be sharper than my own.

My most recent therapist is right at 70 I think. I doubt he plans on retire quite yet. He's taken up ballroom dancing as his most recent hobby.

Age is rather relative. Some people are old in their 50s from too much hard living early in their life. (My best friend who is 55 spent too many years drinking, smoking, and drugging, and her health now is awful -- very much like what many would consider the health of someone in their 70's or so. I suspect she will not see truly "old" age.) Other people, like my parents and my T, are "young" for their age -- have plenty of energy and great health.

But there on no guarantees one way or the other. We have a close family friend whose husband, a police officer who was physically active, took care of himself, etc., dropped dead from a massive heart attack without any warning whatsoever at the age of 59. What a shock that was!

It just amuses me when people automatically call someone over 60 "old". It really isn't about the number.