Compressed Morbidity

I had never heard the term, until I saw a post from my friend Marc Middleton ... and I got that it's something we should all strive for. Here's just part of his post ... "Exercise physiologists, gerontologists and other researchers are talking a lot lately about compressed morbidity. Compressed morbidity is the opposite of a lengthy gradual decline, in which disease processes slowly rob you of your mobility, vitality and independence. Simply stated, compressed morbidity is "live long and die fast." It should be a major life goal for everyone. So how does one get it? The only thing that nearly all researchers agree upon is that vigorous exercise is the key ... which brings us to fitness guru Jack LaLanne, who passed away recently at the age of 96."

In Marc's interview, Jack was asked about how long he might live; his reply stuck with me ... "I don't think about it. I only think about this day. This is the moment I've been living for. I don't care how long I live, but I want to live while I'm living. You gotta work at living. Dying is the easiest thing there is ... I'd rather wear out than rust out."

That's our job ... live while we're living. Faith is being able to live happily, knowing that the end will be even happier. But we have miles to go before we sleep. Lots we can build into our legacy. Living life, living large ... that's why God put us on this earth. We may not all "enjoy" compressed morbidity, but it seems like a truly worthwhile effort to do everything we can to get there ...