I never had the view that 'die young' was a good way to go when I was as a teenager, but I did generally have the idea that being old sucked because you'd inevitably get bogged down by diseases and ailments.
That was until I met my neighbor, who's in his late 70s. He is simply the smartest person I know (a biomedical engineer, with knowledge of nearly everything you can bring up)... it seems as if he's still at the height of his intellect. My perception of things since meeting him has changed -- if you take good care of yourself now, exercise, take your vitamins, etc. you can really genuinely enjoy life when you're older. The guy spends the morning of every other day at the gym for about an hour. He can lift more weight more comfortably than I can -- he's almost 80, I'm in my mid-20s.
That was until I met my neighbor, who's in his late 70s. He is simply the smartest person I know (a biomedical engineer, with knowledge of nearly everything you can bring up)... it seems as if he's still at the height of his intellect. My perception of things since meeting him has changed -- if you take good care of yourself now, exercise, take your vitamins, etc. you can really genuinely enjoy life when you're older. The guy spends the morning of every other day at the gym for about an hour. He can lift more weight more comfortably than I can -- he's almost 80, I'm in my mid-20s.
Also see William Shatner: http://www.reddit.com/user/williamshatner
The guy is 81 years old and so very astute and smart.