Most of us are familiar with the haunting portraits of Abraham Lincoln that were painted during his presidency, 1860-1864. Each year planted another thick crease on his already melancholy visage. Searing eyes surrendered to enormous sagging sadness. In four short years, the turmoil of a divided nation, a Civil War and the loss of a child took an enormous toll on this gentle giant.
CNN.com came out with an article entitled, Advice to Obama on battling presidential aging. According to Dr. Michael Roizen, a chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic, a US president, while in office, ages twice as fast as an average person. Assuming that Barack Obama, 47, occupies the presidency for eight years, Roizen predicts that he will end up having the same risk of disability or death as someone who is 16 years older. The website even ran a projected illustration to prove its glum point.
While Obama doesnt face a Civil War, he inherits a world embattled on all fronts. So we offer the following:
Keep playing basketball. Work up a sweat. Eat well, but not too much. Dont let the stress anchor you. Remember to laugh. Inhale youth from your daughters smiles. Let your wifes wisdom and love sustain you. And try to ditch the cigarettes, for good!
