A friend of mine took up flying when he was nearing 70. He is now an active volunteer for Angel Flights, flying critically ill men, women and children to far-away hospitals for treatment. 

A 98-year-old woman I know spends hours of otherwise idle time sketching pictures of flowers and landscapes with a ball-point pen on white type paper — and making collages from magazine cut-outs. She also picked up the accordian for the first time in her 70s — and now entertains "seniors" at local senior centers. Incidentally, she learned how to boogie-board around the same time.

I met a man the other day in his mid 80s who has been diligently writing his life story and piecing together his family geneology through online research.

Adopting new hobbies and seeking opportunities to learn something new is part of the magic formula for living a long, healthy life. It seems to be a key component, in fact. According to an online article "Hobbies Keep Centenarians Sharp," these pastimes help keep our minds sharp and agile. 

If you've always wanted to learn to play the piano or speak German, stop thinking of it as an indulgence for tomorrow. More likely, it's a health tonic for today.

In her book, "Culture and Commitment: A Study of the Generation Gap," published in 1977, social anthropologist Margaret Mead explained the growing divide between the younger and older generations. 

The chasm, she said, began to show itself in the early 20th century when immigrant families began to rely on their younger members to help them assimilate and find their way in the new culture. 

For the first time in history, the experience of the elders seemed no longer relevant to the current generation's ability to navigate the future.

Just a few decades later, the outbreak of the Vietnam War and the growing distrust of authority widened the divide between young and old. 

Practically every step forward we've taken as a culture since then has been to the detriment of the "chain of wisdom" that had existed for millenia. Increased geographic mobility; segregation of the generations (nursing homes and retirement communities; college campuses and suburban neighborhoods); the speed of technology and changes in the way we communicate; our hectic, over-scheduled lives and double-income families ... and on and on and on.

I think that we're just now beginning to realize that we've lost something along the way. That in this time of fear and transition in our world — our elders may have something to offer us. At least I hope that we're self-aware enough as a culture to acknowledge the gap. Because it's there.

"In the United States they have a Bill of Rights that they added on to the Constitution of the United States, and I think that should have been a Bill of Responsibility, not a Bill of Rights. Cause people talk about their rights, their rights — but they never talk about their responsibility. And leadership has got to have that, above all."
Native American elder

We may be the first generation of Americans that no longer looks to our elders for guidance about how to live — our values, skills, direction. What are we missing, as a result?

The Native American culture deeply respects the wisdom of their elders. This clip is Part 2 in a fascinating five-part series on "Native American Elders Speak Wisdom" on YouTube. 

Centenarians have been in the news lately. Just this week a Cleveland woman turned 119. Imagine that. She was born in 1892. Here's a video clip from her birthday celebration.

Through my work, I've noticed common traits shared by men and women living joyful, productive, healthy lives past age 90. First of all, they don't let age tell them what they should or shouldn't be doing. They're cautious, but they're also optimistic. For example, they may use a walker to avoid falling, but if they fall, they're sure they're going to recover.

Other characteristics of our "senior" seniors: having a wide and strong social network, staying mentally and physically active, eating and drinking in moderation, having a "glass is half full" approach to life, and following a religious faith.

A website dedicated to the study of centenarians says that geography and genes also have something to do with it. Apparently, there's a "centenarian belt" that extends from Minnesota up through Nova Scotia, which may be attributed to those hearty Celtic or Scottish genetics. The world's oldest man recently turned 114. And wouldn't you know it? He lives in Minnesota.

Most centenarians also have at least one other long-lived relative, prompting researchers to believe that there's a genetic predisposition to reaching old age.

But for the rest of us who don't have geography or genetics on our side, there's still hope. We can work harder to: manage stress, nourish our friendships and grow new ones, keep learning, stay physically fit, say "no" to cigarettes and excessive alcohol, and develop our spirituality.