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October 27, 2006
With A Few Exceptions
It occurs to me that there have been a few, but very few, exceptions to my "I want everyone to eat healthy, but I don't want to convert anyone to real, serious CR."
Exception 1: Luke. I remember the night I met him walking back from the coffee shop where we did his first interview and talking about some media appearance I had scheduled re: CR. He was very interested in the topic, and said a few things about trying a fast, being into healthy eating, etc. Having just spent three hours determining that this guy was one of the best organizers I would ever meet (and consuming loads of green tea), I decided that the would would be a much better place if he were alive indefinitely. Since he expressed interest, I thought there might be hope.
He does eat healthy food, like the delicious veggies that he and Christine grow in their garden. But he's still eating pasta and all sorts of crap. His priorities are in other places right now, and I understand that, so I don't say anything much. But he knows that if he ever develops an interest in life-extension, I'm right around on the other side of his office door.
BTW, he doesn't like Quorn either. But he loves my scallops and cilantro dish.
Exception 2: My mom. She's probably already too old to hit actuarial escape velocity, but I'd really like to squeeze as many years of life, health, and mango shrimp with pinot grigio out of her as possible. And the woman who got two PhD's while working full time and raising a child as a single parent has the discipline to do CR. She's already lost 70 pounds on Weight Watchers, and has been stable in her eating for awhile. We'll see if she decides to take the next step.
Exception 3: A close friend of mine from high school whom I've lost touch with, but who was and probably still is the most beautiful woman I've ever met. In addition to wanting to freeze her beauty in time, I remember her as a fellow-traveller down paths that other people find too challenging to tackle. And she's absolutely brilliant. I have no idea what's up with her, but Kathleen Hurley, if you're out there, write me! :)
Exception 4: Fellow life-extensionists, especially anyone who has been doing something ineffective, like megadosing on supplements, in an attempt to live longer. For people who are already quite excited about the possibility of age-reversing biotech and are highly motivated to see it, CR falls into the "if you're trying to get a nail into the wall, how using a hammer instead of your shoe" category. We still might not make it, but much more so than a person who is not particularly concerned with aging or the future, CR makes sense for those who have already invested intellectual energy in the prospect of a reduced-aging future.
There are lots of my friends and family who I sure wish would be around longer, but I've long since accepted that unless age reversing biotech comes out a whole lot faster than anyone thinks it will, it's too late for most of the people I know. Either they're already too old and have damaged their bodies too much, or I just know that their prioities in life lie elsewhere. It's none of my business to tell them how to spend their energy or how to think about their future, and I'm grateful for how respectful they are of my rather unusual choices and goals (and the unusual color of my kitchen.) I still love it when a friend or family member takes steps in the direction of healthy eating. Those steps often include modest calorie reductions, but that's far off from serious CR.
There was another exception, but that's a whole other blog entry... stay tuned.
Posted by april at October 27, 2006 7:26 AM