Evening star., 1961-12-25
STOP KILLING
YOURSELF
When Is Middle AGE?
By PETER J. STGlNcRoHN

OAA - bAOuASuoo "AA SAoAAo
year-old was asked what he
thought was the difference
between youth. middle age
and old age. He answered:
when you're young, you're
coming; when you're middle
aged, you're coming or going;
and when you're old. you're
practically gone"
Ask another child what he
considers middle age and he
will say: "Oh, about 90" Old
age? about 35 or 40."
WE ARE ALWAYS relating
the question of age to our
own age. When these children
get to be 40 (Which they con-
sidered to be old age when
they were themselves eight
they will say that middle age
is so and old age is 10 or 80.
A number of years ago I
wrote q book called Forget
Your Age" which was repub-
lished under the title, How
to Add Years to Your Life"
Perhaps after reading it at
the public library you will
come to the conclusion that
many Of us live too much
by the calendar.
Instead Of letting an age
less spirit guide us, we slow
up and even become detected
when the calendar is flipped
one day and we see 40.
And so? Oh, my! Well, it's
about time to curl up and
die!
I was reading about that
wonderful old gentleman
Herbert Hoover today. He has
Just turned 81. He still works
nine hours a day, enjoys base
ball and fishing.
I'm sure he won't bring in
a calendar to bolster his con-
tention that age is a state Of
mind rather than numbers on
glossy paper.
Years ago I wrote an arti-
Gle on aging for a national
magazine. They used it as
the lead article. The editor
must hive believed in the truth
of the title. I called it: Life
Begins at Any Time"
Do you think you're old at
40P so? 60? 10? Your arith-
metic may be all right; but
your philosophy all wrong.
y u Il 4
Dear DR.. Steincrohn: One
question is causing trouble
between my husband and me.
Is it impossible for a man
to discontinue SIN oking?
Smoke actually bothers me
to the point of illness But
he says he has tried and just
can't give it up. Please let me
know your opinion.-Mrs. B.
OF COURSE 1T is posi-
BILE for a person to give up
smoking. You know that as
we'll as I do. But you are
UNDERSTANDABLE upset why
your husband doesn't think
enough Of your comfort to
cooperate in some way. Note
that I say "in some way"
I have known many pa
tients like yourself who did
not object to smoking on
moral grounds; who did not
begrudge the money their
husband spent on tobacco. All
they begged for was comfort.
Tobacco made some Of my
patients so i'll they could not
breathe. Others got attacks
of sinusitis; still others be-
came so nauseated they vom-
tied. Doctors know that such
people are actually allergic to
bacco.
The least your husband can
do is not to smoke while you
are in the house. Better still,
take a walk or light one up
out on the porch.
People allergic to tobacco
have a hard enough time put
ting up with tobacco smoke
in public without having to
come home and suffer un-
necessarily.
AS q moderate smoker my
self, I believe that smokers
owe more than the few cents
they pay for the package Of
cigarettes; they owe ordinary
civility to innocent nom
smokers.
Il
DR.. Steincrohn's leatlet,
"Hotu to Stop Killing Your
seJ," tDiH be mailed on re-
ceipt of a stamped. selt-ad-
dressed envelope and 10 cents
in coin for handling. Address
DR.. Steincrohn, in care of The
Euening Star.
(Bell Syndicate Feature)
Tomorrow: Nervous.