Doctors are always telling us what we should do to live longer. Like limit our intake of fats so our blood vessels don’t clog up. And, be sure to walk a few miles every day. Stay away from chocolate - that stuff is poison. Don’t drink too much coffee or tea, and, for heaven’s sake, drink lots of water.

Well, all that is true I guess, but when I look at the past lives of people who has lived long enough to remember when there was no automobiles or airplanes and remember when the year 1900 started, I think it may just be a smoke screen.

My father died at 76 years old with heart problems. My mother, who ate the same food as dad, lived to be 95. Neither of them ever smoked or drank, and mom was raised in a home full of heavy smokers. I wonder if second hand smoke really causes all those problems. I know that second hand smoke, like the loud boom-box next door, can be very annoying, but does it really cause all that trouble?

Joan’s mother is 102, soon to be 103 and is still living. Yet, Joan’s father died at 77 years old. Makes one wonder just what the real determination of life span is.

I remember an old man who lived in my home town who was celebrating his 75th wedding anniversary with his wife. That couple was married longer then most people live. He was asked by a reporter what the secret of long life was. His answer - “Well, when Katy and I were married, we made a agreement, that when one of us became angry, the other would take a walk. I have spent my entire life out of doors.” When Katy was asked if the old man had any faults, she said, “Oh, yes, he smokes too much, but he always has.” He died at 104 and she died a year later at 102.

There has been a couple of extensive studies to determine what common factors there was between centenarians. The one common thread was that they all seemed to enjoy life. It boils down to the frame of mind people live with. If you are continually angry, upset, full of worry, then prepare yourself for an early demise. But, if you like chocolate, then go to it. It is a lot safer than going through life with a burden of worries.

Of course, what brings about most deaths is the environment we live in. If you have been shot through the heart with a high powered bullet, you will likely die, soon. Same way if you wrap your car around a tree at 70 miles per hour. And, if you have ingested some poison substances, then it may shorten your life.

I doubt that I will live to see a hundred, and I don’t really care that much. Oh, I’m not in any hurry to get out of this world, and I look closely before I cross the streets. I will duck if someone is firing a gun, and I will not knowingly eat spoiled food. But, I firmly believe that the years in our lives is not as important as the life in our years. I still like to laugh and enjoy my years. I sure hope that if the time comes when I can’t, that God will remove me from earthly existence.

How about you? Are you living, or merely existing?