Marlon Meyer
Northwest Asia Weekly
Gene Moy bikes 100 times a day (Photo by Mahlon Meyer/NWAW)
On top of the dusty, blackened TV, the glow of the medals was unrecognizable in the evening twilight. But Gene Moy, 104, kept staring at it as he lay on his equally exhausted dark couch watching sports flashing on the screen.
The U.S. Congressional Gold Medal he received for five years of service during World War II may not mean much to outsiders. But to him, it means everything.
“It made me feel like I did something for my country,” he said.
Before the pandemic, Moy was still going dancing twice a week and drinking energy drinks to cheer himself up. He still cooks his own meals, and his kids believe it helps him live longer.
But now he’s eating “very badly”, his daughter says – mostly takeaways – and he circles the house three or four times a day with a walker. No more dancing.
What keeps a person alive during a pandemic, when many people’s lives seem hopeless, is something Moy has been trying to figure out for a long time.
As with several others interviewed for this article, a combination of habits and practices and values such as persistence and even honor seems to matter.
Healthy aging depends on exercising, eating a balanced diet, and building your brain like a muscle, says Stephen Yu, research associate professor in the Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Exercise allows the body to remove excess waste “like a garbage truck,” while a healthy diet should remove excess fat and oil, he said.
Even if one has a stressful job or lacks resources, there is still one thing people can do every day to have fun — and it helps reduce stress.
But for Moi and others—even those much younger—while such an approach is essential, they seem to be more involved in their quest for longevity.
While the pandemic has cut the average American’s life expectancy from about 79 to 77 in 2020, it has also been seriously life-altering, and some, like Moy, have found a reason to live on, according to federal data.
Responsibility and Respect
CC Tien (Photo by Mahlon Meyer/NWAW)
CC Tien, a retired engineer and president of a cultural foundation that publishes a journal on U.S.-China relations, turned 94 in January, and continues to cultivate many people who make him look better than he really is. A much younger habit.
He walks with his wife, practices a form of Qigong (breathing and meditation) he developed, and collects articles for his publication, China-US Forum.
But it seems that a sense of duty and reverence keeps him alive. Tien and the rest of his family have just completed a decades-long project to publish a book about his ancestry that dates back to the beginning of China’s recorded history.
Intrigued by his own secrets to longevity, he found out that his great-great-grandmother lived to be 106 years old, and was approved by the Qing emperor. But his ancestors, who held high positions and had a stressful life, had much shorter lifespans.
Some of them are also role models. On a more personal level, when Tian was born, his great-grandfather, 82, walked 20 miles to see him, bringing gifts.
Today, Tien takes care of her family’s health by monitoring their blood pressure and blood oxygen levels and finding creative ways to exercise, such as going shopping — during which everyone walks.
“Visual stimulation is very important,” he said.
Persistence
Wu Xiaoyan (Photo by Wu Xiaoyan)
Wu Xiaoyan has entered a period of predictable old age, and she needs to be more determined than ever. After a misdiagnosis and a failed operation, one of her eyeballs was turned inward so deeply that she couldn’t see. Behind her sunglasses lurks the fear that she will be blind for the rest of her life.
She just turned 70.
As a real estate developer, activist and philanthropist, she said she never doubted she could be cured.
“I didn’t have negative thoughts,” she said. “I’m just wondering how I can heal.”
She interviewed 30 doctors and then found a doctor at UCLA she had confidence in and had confidence in.
“Some doctors would say they could help me 50 percent, others 70 percent, but I never stopped until I found someone who said 100 percent,” she said.
“Sometimes you have a feeling for someone. It’s like a miracle for this doctor.”
Today, eight years later, she has regained 95% of her vision and continues to practice many habits that contribute to longevity.
Fifty percent of her meals are vegetables. She was only three-quarters full. She swims 3 times a week, does yoga, and sees a personal trainer once a week.
But like Tian, she finds the satisfaction of her passion in nurturing others. She cares for the multiple dogs she rescues and makes a monthly donation to the Humane Society of Seattle.She dedicates her time to community college work, raising funds and donations, and leading the local chapter of a national organization that sends scholarship students to Washington, D.C.
“You have to give back,” she said.
Look for the positive
Aside from service and accolades, there’s another thing that keeps Moy going.
When asked about the secret to longevity, he smiled and said, “Gosh, I don’t know. If I knew, I’d write a book about it.”
When exploring his secrets of humor and wit, he thought for a moment, then said, “I’m fine with most people. I usually give in before them.”
Wu also believes that life, especially longevity, is all about attitude.
“You have to focus on the positive,” she said.
Mahlon can reach info@nwasianweekly.com.
This health series is supported by funding from the Washington State Department of Health, which has no editorial input or oversight on this content.
