Island ParadiseDay 46

I was reading a couple of articles today, one of which gave an overview of research that showed men who retire early live longer. The results were attributed to the person having more time to sleep, more time to exercise, more time to eat healthy, and more time to actually go to the Doctor when something comes up. It also notes that less stress, usually caused by work, contributes to many health conditions. In our case, I would say all of those things are true. Healthy eating is so easy where fruits and vegetables are abundant and cheap, and it is certainly motivating to exercise every day when you get to snorkel your way around the second largest barrier reef in the world. Going to the Doctor, including a specialist, is easy and immediate. No waiting for months on end.

For Stephane and me, we also have more time to make music – something we have not really taken advantage of, but should. According to a new book by Daniel H. Pink, "Exercise is one of the few activities in life that is indisputably good for us," and “singing might be the new exercise," that is, when it is done with someone else. "Choral singing calms the heart and boosts endorphin levels. It improves lung function. It increases pain thresholds and reduces the need for pain medication," Pink says. Well that is good news for us, and explains why I feel better connected to Stephane when we sing regularly. Tonight we performed for a group of expats at a local bar in Utila town. We did not have a sound system, so projecting over the din of voices was difficult at times, but all in all our music was well received and it felt good to be performing again.

Another thing that is supposed to extend your life, and contribute to a better retirement, is to stay cognitively engaged and challenged. I am not a fan of crosswords or Sudoku, which are both supposed to be beneficial, however, I love learning. Life-long learning for me is a commitment to myself. We are never too old to learn, and no amount of education is ever wasted. I went back to school at age 42 and got a Master’s degree in Professional Communication with a specialization in International and Intercultural Communication.

Immediately after I graduated (and after my four month trip around the world), I started looking for work. When I did not find work right away, I got kind of depressed and started feeling like all that hard work was wasted. Then a girlfriend told me something that changed my attitude about formal education. She said, “Education is never a waste. Going to school has taught you to think critically, and that will serve you throughout your life.” I eventually did get a job, working as Senior Strategic Communication Advisor for the Chief of Maritime Staff (head of the Canadian Navy), and feel proud of my contributions, serving on the Navy’s Strategic Advisory Committee which was tasked with laying out a naval strategy through the year 2020. Who would have thought that communication was an important element of national defence? As it turned out, government bureaucracy was just a little too slow for me, so while my professional contributions were limited, my education has served me well in all aspects of my life, and I look forward to some more formal education when I am done my travels.

In the meantime, I will continue to sing with my best friend, eat lots of veggies, and hopefully I will live long enough to finish that bucket list.