Last weekend, I
went to the Tucson tamale fest with our son Brian and our two grandchildren. As
I got in the car, 5-year-old Saoirse asked, “papa, how come you are not dead if
you are 78 years old?”
Her question reminded me of a time when Art Linkletter’s show (Kids Say the Darndest Things) was one of the most popular shows on television.
The show originally
aired in 1959, and managed to stay on the air (with a variety of hosts) until
2021.
Our perspective on
what “old” means changes as we get older.
When I was in my
20’s, anyone who was over 70 would be considered to be ancient.
The average life
span for men in America today is 75.8, and the average lifespan for women is
81.1.
Life style,
naturally, is one factor in longevity, but so is ethnicity. Asian-Americans life
the longest, and Black Americans and Native Americans have the shortest life
spans.
Heredity also has
an effect, which is good news for me, since I have 3 relatives on both sides who
lived to be 95. My uncle Harold still would have an occasional beer even after
he turned 90.
Keeping active also
makes a difference.
Many of the
singers we grew up with are still working well beyond 70.
Grahams Nash is
still performing at the age of 83, and Mick Jagger (82) was still acting 5
years ago.
The point main character
it this story, though, is Dick Van Dyke, who turned 100 years old today,
December 13.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Van_Dyke
His career spanned
from 1947 to 2024, an impressive 77 years.
The link above
includes a complete list of his accomplishments, but here is a quick summary:
Richard Wayne Van
Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor and
comedian. His work spans
screen and stage, and his awards include six Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award. He was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of
Fame in 1993, and then the Television Hall of
Fame in 1995. He was recognized as a Disney Legend in 1998. He has been
honored with the Screen
Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2013, and the Kennedy Center Honors in
2020.
Van Dyke began his
career as an entertainer on radio, television and in nightclubs. He made
his Broadway debut
in the musical revue The Girls Against the Boys (1959).
The following year he starred as Albert F. Peterson in the original production
of Bye Bye Birdie (1960),
a role which earned him the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He
returned to Broadway playing Harold Hill in a revival of The Music Man (1980).
On television, Van
Dyke became a household name in the United States and Canada portraying Rob
Petrie in the CBS sitcom The Dick Van Dyke
Show (1961–1966), which also earned him three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a
Comedy Series. He guest-starred on shows such as Columbo (1974) and The Carol Burnett
Show (1977), and starred in The New Dick Van
Dyke Show (1971–1974), Diagnosis: Murder (1993–2001),
and Murder 101 (2006–2008).
Van Dyke is also
known for his role as Bert, the cockney chimney sweep in the Disney movie
musical Mary Poppins (1964),
for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture –
Musical or Comedy. He starred in the movie musicals Bye Bye Birdie (1963)
and Chitty Chitty Bang
Bang (1968), as well as the comedy-drama The Comic (1969). In his later years,
Van Dyke has taken supporting roles in films such as Dick Tracy (1990), Curious George (2006), Night at the Museum (2006), its
2014 sequel, and Mary Poppins Returns (2018).
Most of the people
that we consider our friends are well into their 70’s. and we are all experiencing
the ravages of time. Sharon spent Thanksgiving this year in a hospital in Mesa
due to her continuing issued with gastric issues, and a few relative that we know
passed away this year.
If I live to be
100 years old, Saoirse will be 27 years old, and she may no longer think I am
old as long as I can still walk upright and talk coherently.
In 2 years, I will
be 80. If I live that long, there is a 30 % change that I will make if to 90,
Given my family genetic history, I am pretty sure that I will make it that age,
and possibly longer.
That's something to look forward to.
