Huron Expositor, 2014-07-23, Page 4asLia.
4 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, July 23, 2014
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Canada'
editorial
Making sure the final years are golden
QM Agency
Most of us want to live longer, but not enough of us are
thinking about what kind of life we would be living if we
reached our 80's or our 90's.
Science and medical advancements, plus better nutri-
tion and other factors, are allowing Canadians to live
much longer than their grandparents. But most of us
haven't quite nailed down the question of quality of life.
It's one thing to live to the age of 90; it's quite another to
live that life without the aches and pains and other ail-
ments that usually dog the elderly.
And, in recent years, another wrinlde has been added.
Science and medicine may permit Canadians to age
gracefully, but will these same Canadians have the finan-
cial means to live a life of comfortable dignity?
To be sure, we are enjoying a greater life expectancy. A
report from Statistics Canada on Thursday says the aver-
age Canadian, born today, can expect to live 81.7 years.
That's substantially older than the 57 years a person born
in 1921 was expected to enjoy.
The reasons are varied, but the biggest factor appears to
be the introduction many decades ago of penicillin and
insulin, along with the promotion of childhood immuni-
zations. More Canadians today survive their childhood.
Generations ago, it wasn't unusual for parents to have lost
at least one child to illness.
Other factors for longevity include a reduction in the
number of Canadians who smoke tobacco. Canadians
also have better attitudes about healthy eating and
exercise.
Automobiles are safer. In fact, they have never been as
safe... for both the driver and passengers, and - some
would argue - for pedestrians.
Workplace deaths have become fewer. There are still
dangerous occupations, such as logging and agriculture,
but the number of people engaged in those activities rep-
resents a much smaller percentage of the population.
The threat of disease has also been narrowed.
The challenge remains, however, for reaching an older
age of quality and that benchmark has yet to be estab-
lished. Science has helped. But a necessary ingredient is
financial security -- and this might become the most diffi-
cult to provide.
Governments are struggling with the question of pen-
sions. Premier Kathleen Wynne has even suggested that
an Ontario Pension Plan is needed. Our federal govern-
ment says we shouldn't be worried, at least with the Can-
ada Pension Plan. Yet there are scores of pensions, many
of them private, that are underfunded, and this continues
to be a worry in making sure those golden years are truly
golden.
www.seaforthhuronexpositorcom
Make mine medium roar
This week, I've
found myself
involved in a lot of
conversations
about gender
equality.
Men versus
women; a tale as
old as time itself
really.
Most of these
conversations were brought on
by two very different events; the
annual Seaforth Optimist men's
steak dinner, and subsiquently, a
geeky comic book convention in
Hamilton.
When I first arrived at the steak
dinner setup, the guys were get-
ting everything ready for their big
night. Picnic tables were flying,
the giant barbeque was being lit
and overall, the gentlemen
appeared to be pretty excited
about the evening's festivities.
It wasn't until we got talking
that I realized there was a little
blowback from the ladies of the
town, as to whether or not having
a "men's only" event was a little
behind the times.
Even though I agree it's a little
old fashioned, I can't help but
point out what I see as an obvious
argument - so what?
In a time when we're all con-
stantly struggling in a, mostly
futile, attempt to catch up with
the rest of the world, there really
isn't a lot of time for real
tradition.
And really, isn't that what this
is?
I hardly see it as a hostile
attempt at exclusion, but an
annual tradition of men getting
together to do whatever it is men
do, and talk about whatever it is
men talk about.
To be honest ladies, we proba-
bly don't even really want to
know...
I can hear the shouts already -
but women like steak too!
Again, you'll get nothing but a
hardy agreement on that one
from me, so why not have a steak
night for the ladies? Create a new
tradition.
My second trek into the equal-
ity zone came this weekend at a
place called
CONbravo.
A celebration of
all things nerdy,
the event encom-
passes the usual
Column costumes, panels
and other such
geekery one comes
to expect at any
such gathering.
Really, I'd go into it in more
detail, but trust me when I say, if
you really wanna know, ask me
later.
Anyway, one of the biggest
things at a convention such as
this, is the costumes. Men and
women; boys and girls, dress up
as their favourite characters
from any number of media,
such as comic books, movies or
TV. What ends up a constant
debate, is some of these outfits
cause men to objectify women
who are only trying to express
an interest in their favourite
heroes.
And there I was, modeling a
Dr. Who corset for my friend
Heather, seamstress
extraordinaire.
Regardless, I was asked by
several gentlemen for photos, to
which I happily obliged, many
of them actually showing me
the photo before heading off.
Just to make sure I was happy
with the way I was depicted.
So, how is that objectifying?
I'd call it downright polite,
maybe respectful even.
At this point I would say we
all need to maybe just calm
down a little when it comes to
our judgments of the opposite
sex.
If anything, we should cherish
our time together and enjoy our
time apart.
Don't get me wrong, as
women we need to continue to
challenge the boundaries set by
society in an attempt to keep us
down.
But maybe by picking our bat-
tles, we may just be able to enjoy
what it is to be ourselves, instead
of someone or something else.
After all, when it comes to beef
or Batman, everybody wins.
Whitney South
Huron Expositor
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