The ritual of scanning the newspaper one last time is really my thinly disguised attempt to delay my departure for work. So, I felt sheepish when I read the headline: Va. Man, 107, Finds Blessings and Burdens in Longevity; somehow, the “burden” of going to work didn’t seem as onerous.

It turns out that Larry Haubner, age 107, is in the news because he’s outliving his money, and friends are raising funds so he can remain at his assisted living facility. Mind you, it’s not like Larry neglected to plan for his future. He lived in his own apartment until 102, before moving into the facility. Then, he was able to pay the $3,500 monthly tab from his savings through age 105, the point at which his money first ran out. At that time, his friends held a similar campaign and thought they raised a sufficient amount once they could cover two more years of living expenses. But, Larry’s years of healthy eating and exercising (he rode his bike into his 100’s) make him the Energizer Bunny of Seniors. I just checked the donation site, savelarry.org, and with the recent publicity, Larry is now set for another 18 months and counting.

After sharing Larry’s amazing life journey with my friend Gail, she told me about an interactive site where you can calculate your Real Age (versus your chronological age according to the calendar). I find this calculation infinitely more appealing than figuring out when I’ll die, like I can at The Death Clock.

After punching in intimate details about myself (cholesterol level, blood pressure and weight were just the beginning), I discovered that my “real age” is … (drum roll, please) … 44.4! That’s a full year less than my chronological age. Woohoo! (I was SO worried that the number would be higher.)

The following quote puts Larry’s story and my angsting about age into perspective:

Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. ~ Samuel Ullman