The other day at the mall, I was buying postage stamps from the same woman who’s been behind the counter of the little shop for years. The place is usually busy so we’ve never stopped to chat, but on that day, she and I were alone. As I handed her the money for my purchase, a frown clouded her expression. “Can I ask you a question,” she asked.
Surprised, I nodded.
“You’ve been coming here for a dog’s age,” she went on. “Yet you look exactly the same as the first time I saw you. How do you do it?”
I smiled, relieved that I’d given no offense, but was well aware my mirror doesn’t lie. I see jowls forming and marionette lines in my reflection. Still, she stared at me in earnest anticipation, as if I knew the secret of slowing time. Tucking my new stamps into my purse, I smiled again. “One of us needs an eye doctor,” I replied. As I turned from the counter, the sound of her laughter rang in my ears.
Oddly enough, prolonged youth may be a reality sooner than imagined. The other day, an article averred that vampires are right about blood’s life reviving benefits. Experiments with mice have shown that when transfused with the blood of young animals, the older ones benefitted. “Aging was actually reversed by the younger blood, with older rodents’ brains and hearts becoming significantly healthier.” (“Vampire Therapy,” The Week, May 16, 2014, pg. 19)
Chagrined, my first thought was for our poor Millennials. Having suffered from the environmental and economic chaos wrought by older generations, might they be called upon to rejuvenate the rest of us? In this ruthless economy, would becoming blood donors be their best option?
Scientists aren’t sure how long old mice will benefit from their new blood. Nor can they predict the success of human transfusions. But let young people with their spiky hair and pierced body parts take heed. Their current fascination with vampires could come back to bite them.
(Courtesy of www.fanpop.com)
