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by Jean Levaux, Boston IV of Hope
On April 29 I attended a remarkable event in Boston. It was a
photojournalistic presentation of a series of interviews conducted in
Okinawa in 2006 by Eugenie Francoeur, a Canadian journalist who met with
both centenarians and 5- to 8-year-old school children to understand their
health and longevity.
Many studies have been conducted of the people of Okinawa but this is the
only one I know of that includes children. I found the idea of studying both
early and later stages of life brilliant. One can infer the threads that
connect them. The customs and lifestyle, whether at 5 or 105, have common
aspects.
The presentation raised any number of interesting issues, among them: what
is poverty anyway? By conventional statistical measures, Okinawans are
considered poor, but they do not seem it. They have what they need. School
children and elders alike eat a diet rich in nutrients-almost no empty
calories, sweets, or dairy, and very little meat or fish. But diet and good
genes-to which researchers
attributed about 30 percent of Okinawans' success-are far from their only
secrets. Okinawans are rich in many ways that are worth our examining.
• Community orientation. Though not measurable, this must certainly
contribute to well-being. Okinawans take care of one another. There is no
isolation. There are no words in their language for "retirement" or
"stress," so people reported always feeling useful. Elders are considered
wise and looked to for advice. Women are respected; they coordinate the
family and larger community. Married couples are partners, sharing tasks.
Society is egalitarian.
• Spiritual path. Elders are seen not only as beloved wise ones but also on
their way to becoming ancestors, who are worshipped in the belief that they
advocate for loved ones. Eugenie talked to people about death and found they
don't fear it; death just happens when the body wears out. A 91-year-old
woman said she was too busy to be ready to die yet.
• "Enjoy the moment" philosophy. Eugenie found that Okinawans don't
complain, about either their lot or one another. Obstacles, disappointments,
and tragedy have been part of life. But they accept them, focus on moving
forward, and don't dwell on the past. The outcome of this resilient, "be
happy" focus: Okinawans are typically productive as long as they live. One
man of 91 used his increasing-not decreasing- energy to start two major
gardens. A woman of 104 spends most of
her time maintaining a community shrine.
• Ways to keep busy. Almost everyone bikes. Many play a form of golf. Old
women can be seen sitting at their marketplace stalls reading newspapers to
keep informed on world events. Okinawans all seem involved with personal and
community responsibilities but never pressured. They do one thing at a time,
with complete attentiveness, but never multi-task.
• Early education in lifestyle values. The most remarkable thing to me is
how community values -eating healthfully, caring for others, and living
responsibly-permeate the early years. Even the youngest school children take
turns donning chef's hats and arranging and serving food at lunch, which is
always rich in vegetables, rice, seaweed, and tofu. No one eats until all
have been served.
There's a moment of silence before eating. When asked what foods they
particularly liked, children always preferred one vegetable or another. No
one even thought of "indulging" in French fries- Eugenie 's question-at the
island's one MacDonald's, near the U.S. air base. But the teacher was
horrified at the suggestion of anything heavier than a baked potato.
What a concept! Prepare children early for the community life they will
become part of! "If they are not given responsibilities," teachers ask, "how
else are they to learn responsible participation?" But wait a moment-isn't
that what every society does, including ours?
It could be argued that we prepare our children most to be spectators,
consumers, and targets of advertisers; to value peers more than elders; to
demand constant and rapidly changing stimulation. In Okinawa, by contrast,
Ritalin is unheard of: "Why would you want to drug children?" interviewees
asked Eugenie.
Is it farfetched to think that Western countries could emulate such vastly
different values? The incentives are great. Okinawa has the world's lowest
incidences of a whole host of conditions considered unavoidable here-little
cancer, heart disease, or Alzheimer's; no autism; no ADHD; no obesity or
even visible fat; scant arthritis. (Eugenie saw only one person using a
walker, and she was 108.)
Eugenie seems to believe we can. Indeed, it has become her passion to spread
word of the possibility of such transformation as widely as possible. In
addition to the upcoming book, this work will appear in a traveling photo
exhibit incorporating the compelling images of Eugenie 's photographer
colleague
Nancy Lessard. They are actively seeking partners and sponsors for this
work.
Rita Cleary
rita@learningcircle.com
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