Please, Keep Working That Noggin!

This one's off-topic, although long-time clients (friends) and I do have personal conversations about lifestyle, longevity, cognitive stamina, and so on, as they approach, and enter, retirement.

I was drawn to an article this evening about  Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara, who lived to be 105 years old, as its teaser stated that he, like yours truly, ate pretty much the same thing every day. 

As I eagerly clicked the link and started reading I was hoping to discover that his daily fare consisted of yogurt, walnuts, cacao, sardines and oatmeal (I know, as my family will attest, I'm rather weird!), but, alas, about the only things dietary he and I had in common were coffee and fish (I do eat veggies too, but, unlike the good doctor, I can't seem to get to them every day).

The non-dietary thing we had in common, and this speaks to my conversations with clients, is that we both love/loved* our work; *in fact he worked till the day he died. I may as well, as long as I'm certain that my brain can do our clients' portfolios justice. 

Now, I'm not advocating that we all should work till we keel over, but, honestly, I do worry about those clients -- many of whom have become dear friends over the years -- who retire to lives of travel, golf, tinkering in their shops, or what have they. I mean, that all sounds wonderful, but I don't know that it works the noggin muscle quite enough to keep going as long as they/we might be hoping.

Yes, I've noticed, and I imagine you have as well, that folks who live long lives tend to find purpose beyond the traditional comforts of retirement. Yeah, I know, it's either that or a shot of Jim Beam every night at bedtime...

I recall hearing Milton Friedman, waxing eloquently, in a podcast at the age of 92, and Ronald Coase (another economist) writing white papers at the age of 101. Both men for sure found purpose (in their cases, as in Dr Hinohara's, in their work) well into their later years. My own dear father, who passed away a year ago yesterday at the age of 89, found his way into the office three days a week right up to the end (here's a little something I wrote in his memory).

Of course I know this is no you-heard-it-here-first revelation, it's just a friendly reminder that good health and longevity is about more than simply diet and exercise; it's about challenging the brain on a regular basis as well. 

I guess, only because I care, I'll do my part by sending you lots and lots of blog posts to read, every day, seven days a week, 365 days a year...😁