Michigan seniors reveal their secrets to a long and happy life
Humankind has been trying to find the secret to a long life for centuries.
Grand tales toting eternal life used to send explorers sailing around the world in search of youth and immortality. More currently, top universities and government agencies track life and death rates each year, seeking to increase the former and decrease the latter, and magazines line supermarket check-outs, promoting different diets and exercises for longevity.
However, the more infrequently asked question is not only how to live a long life, but how to live a happy one.
Here’s some advice from several senior Detroiters who were asked the big question everyone wants to know: what’s the secret to a long and happy life?
Alandis Long, 66, and Florence Jones, 70, who were found playing pool on the third floor of St. Pat's Senior Center. The two teased each other between shots of the pool cue. When asked the question, Florence answered simply and sternly, shaking her head: “No smoking, no drinking, no nothing!”, while Alandis raised his head and with a smile in his eyes, said: “Know God.”
Brenda Dickerson, 65, told us about her life as an athlete, and even in her older age, she goes for walks, exercises, rides bikes and goes out dancing with her friends often. Her secret to a long and happy life was “Active, staying active…dancing to music,” she said. “Dancing is good for the heart.”
More: Life expectancy in US: Problems date back to 1950s, report finds
Dr. Helen J. Powell, a former psychologist who spent time in the California sun and now only describes herself as “way past grown”, advised, “Stay prayed up, stay grateful in your prayers, …Try to be thankful just even to be able to open your eyes in the morning.”
LaVern Long, 74, a born-and-raised Detroiter but current Dearborn resident, told us two of her secrets: the first to a 55-and-counting-year-old marriage – “To find someone you’re compatible with, and then grow together” – but also never forget the importance of all relationships – “Find someone you connect with even if it’s someone other than your spouse. It’s good to have a friend … It’s good to have at least two good friends.” As for her husband, who still hasn’t retired at 77, LaVern shared what his piece of advice would probably be: to eat breakfast every day.
More: Michigan woman gets surprise at Foreigner cover band show: A proposal
Stephanie Smothers, 74, a long-time Detroit resident but Cincinnatian at heart, told us about how belly dancing classes became a respite from caregiving to her sister. Now, she volunteers with a group called the Shimmy Mob which does an annual worldwide belly dance as a fundraiser for victims of domestic violence. When prompted the question, she said: “I think that the secret for me is having a positive attitude, believing in God, and believing that things will get better.”
Kathy Brantley, 73, shared how she ended up with clinical depression after experiencing a string of loss – both of her parents within a year of each other, followed by her significant other, and shortly after, her sister – but how friendship and activities helped her find the light in life again. When asked what the secret to a long and happy life is, she answered: “Having faith that it’s not over. Even though I’m old … I still got things I want to do, things to see, places to go. Just because I’m old, it’s not over yet.”
More: Father and son's 52-mile hike in Michigan woods brings them closer
Theodora “Teddi” Ragland, a 64-year-old looking forward to 65 for the long-awaited senior discounts, described her life as a true jack of all trades: studying chemistry and biology then math in college; she playing a range of musical instruments, such as clarinet, piano, harp, and her own voice; doing data work for the city of Detroit; then involving herself in numerous organizations in retirement. “Being active, being involved,” she answered when asked the question. “I’m involved in a lot of community groups …That’s given me new life, so to speak. So, if I can continue doing this and helping someone else, I’m good. I think I’ll last a much longer time helping someone else.”
Linda Miller, 71, first described herself as a middle child out of 11 siblings. She spent over 45 years working as a secretary at a hospital before retiring in 2020, and then her brothers and sisters began to pass away, sending her into a depression. When she found St. Pat’s, it helped to provide some much-needed structure to her life and changed her attitude completely. She had some especially profound life advice in response to the question: “See, life is a lesson learned. The more you live, the more you learn. But you’re supposed to take those lessons and keep moving forward. That’s what I’ve learned in my life. You learn, but you’ve got to keep moving forward. You can’t stand still and you can’t go back. You got to keep moving forward.”
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Senior Detroiters explain secrets to a long, happy life
