Living a Long Life (2)

Continuing from yesterday:

Even though I quit smoking, the damage was already done. I came down with lung cancer and nearly died. I think I was too stubborn to give up the ghost. After many months of radiation and chemotherapy to reduce the size of the tumor, the upper lobe of my right lung was removed. It took literally years for me to recover, but I did.

I learned my lesson. Now I go out of my way to live a healthy life. I sleep more than anybody I know. I keep my weight in check by sticking to a strict diet of mostly fruits and vegetables. I work out by weightlifting for a couple of hours every other day. And I drink a lot of water. The result: I am a pinnacle of health for my age. I’ve already lived past the age expectancy for American men (late seventies), and I fully intend to live past a hundred. The evidence so far is that I’ll succeed.

If I can do it, anybody can. But it takes discipline. And Americans as a group are not well-known for their self-restraint. Chances are that the early death rate will continue.