Japan's 97-year-old physician educator offers advice for seniors

I just received the following from an email through a good friend and here is my summary with additional info and links after searching the web for supporting sources:

Author/Physician Shigeaki Hinohara

By JUDIT KAWAGUCHI

Judit Kawaguchi loves to listen. She is a volunteer counselor and a TV reporter on NHK's "Out & About." Learn more at: http://juditfan.blog58.fc2.com/

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Japan's 97-year-old physician educator offers advice for seniors ~ Japan Times
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http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20090129jk.html

At the age of 97 years and 4 months, Shigeaki Hinohara is one of the world's longest-serving physicians and educators.

Hinohara's magic touch is legendary: Since 1941 he has been healing patients at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo and teaching at St. Luke's College of Nursing. ...
top medical facility and nursing school.

Today he serves as chairman of the board of trustees at both organizations. Always willing to try new things, he has published around 150 books since his 75th birthday, including "Living Long, Living Good" that has sold more than 1.2 million copies.

As the founder of the New Elderly Movement, Hinohara encourages others to live a long and happy life, a quest in which no role model is better than the doctor himself.

Energy comes from feeling good, not from eating well or sleeping a lot.

All people who live long — regardless of nationality, race or gender — share one thing in common: None are overweight.

Always plan ahead.

There is no need to ever retire, but if one must, it should be a lot later than 65.

Share what you know.

When a doctor recommends you take a test or have some surgery, ask whether the doctor would suggest that his or her spouse or children go through such a procedure.

To stay healthy, always take the stairs and carry your own stuff.

My inspiration is Robert Browning's poem "Abt Vogler."

Pain is mysterious, and having fun is the best way to forget it.

Don't be crazy about amassing material things.

Hospitals must be designed and prepared for major disasters, and they must accept every patient who appears at their doors.

Science alone can't cure or help people.

Life is filled with incidents.

Find a role model and aim to achieve even more than they could ever do.

It's wonderful to live long.

Read the full text and look at the photo of Author/Physician Shigeaki Honorary at
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20090129jk.html

Words to live by
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl-jk-all.html
is the series of over 150 stories written by Judit Kawaguchi.

If you find this story inspiring, you may like to read other stories by the same writer to get more inspiration!

Robert Browning's poem "Abt Vogler" in full text is available from:
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/abt-vogler/

In the Armstrong Browning Library, the central double window in the Entrance Foyer represents Robert Browning's poem "Abt Vogler" (http://www.browninglibrary.org/index.php?id=48319) and I like the Poetry for Lower Section of Window:

On the earth the broken arcs;
in the heaven a perfect round.


I read the poetry and like Shigeaki Hinohara's comment:

"It encourages us to make big art, not small scribbles. It says to try to draw a circle so huge that there is no way we can finish it while we are alive. All we see is an arch; the rest is beyond our vision but it is there in the distance."

If you like to understand more about Robert Browning's poem "Abt Vogler", just google for more info or visit the following links:

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/abt-vogler/

http://www.browninglibrary.org/index.php?id=48319

Hope you enjoy reading this summary!

Cheers


Dexterine Ho