香山リカのココロの万華鏡:「年相応」の生活楽しんで ／東京

June 09, 2013(Mainichi Japan)
Kaleidoscope of the Heart: Enjoy life in old age, but don't push too hard
香山リカのココロの万華鏡:「年相応」の生活楽しんで　／東京

Recently, 80-year-old Yuichiro Miura made the news for climbing to the top of Mt. Everest. At a news conference held right after his return to Japan, he revealed yet another goal, saying, "Next I will ski down an 8,000-meter mountain."
　８０歳でエベレスト登頂を果たした三浦雄一郎さん。帰国早々の記者会見では「次は８０００メートル級の山でスキーを」と、新たな夢を語っていた。

The energy of people like Miura in their 80s and 90s nowadays is surprising. When I go to the bookstore, I see best sellers by authors in their 80s and autobiographies by pianists and photographers in their 90s. Meanwhile, I know a woman who in her 70s decided to study a foreign language abroad, and was a little taken aback by a friend's reaction who had heard it was popular among grandmothers who had finished caring for their grandchildren. It seems no one is surprised these days if someone in their 70s starts something new.
　最近の８０代、９０代の「元気っぷり」はすごい。書店に行くと８０代の作家の本がベストセラーになっていたり、９０代のピアニスト、写真家の自叙伝が出ていたり。私の知人で７０代になってから語学留学を決意して友人に相談したら、「それ『グランママ留学』って言うんでしょ？　孫の世話が一段落した祖母たちの間ではやっているんですって」と言われ、拍子抜けしてしまったという女性がいた。今や７０代で新しいことを始めても、誰も驚かない時代になったのだ。

However, not everyone enters into old age with good health and strong curiosity. For fiscal 2010, the average "healthful life expectancy" -- the age through which one lives a normal, unhindered lifestyle -- in Japan was 70 for men and 74 for women. We can see that the 82-year-old who starts learning ballet, or the 91-year-old who goes mountain hiking every week, are very much exceptions to the norm.
　とはいえ、誰もが健康に恵まれ好奇心も旺盛のまま、高齢になるわけではない。「日常生活に制限のない期間」を「健康寿命」と呼ぶことがあるが、２０１０年度の日本の調査では男性の平均がおよそ７０歳、女性は７４歳。「バレエを習い始めた８２歳」や「毎週、山歩きを続ける９１歳」というのは、例外中の例外ということがわかる。

Once, a woman in her 80s visited my consultation room. "I don't feel like doing anything. Do I have depression?" she asked. Her husband had died and she lived with her son's family. She also had a bad back and other chronic conditions. However, she was articulate, she didn't look like someone in their 80s, and she didn't seem to have any significant difficulties living her day-to-day life.
　かつて、私の診察室に「何もやる気になれなくて。うつ病じゃないでしょうか」と訴える８０代の女性が来たことがあった。その人は夫に先立たれ、今は息子一家と同居しているのだが、慢性の腰痛などの持病を抱えていた。しかし、話の内容はしっかりしているし、見た目も８０代とは思えない。今のところ、特に支障なく生活できているようだった。

"I don't think it's depression. Don't worry too much, listen to music, talk on the phone to friends, and do what you want," I advised, but she didn't look convinced. In her mind, people in their 80s were supposed to be energetic, contributing to society and pursuing new goals.
　「うつ病とは思えませんよ。あまり心配なさらずに、音楽を聴いたり友だちと電話したり、好きなようにすごせばいいんじゃないですか」とアドバイスをしたのだが、それでも納得のいかない顔をしている。その人の頭の中にある８０代とは、「はつらつと社会貢献をしたり、新しい夢に向かって走り続ける」イメージのようなのだ。

Of course, it is wonderful if people can continue with their jobs or hobbies into their 80s and 90s. I want people to pursue their goals without holding back because of their age. But not everyone has to climb Mt. Everest or publish a best seller. It is precisely because those people are rare that they gain such public attention. In recent years the phrase "appropriate for one's age" has gained negative connotations, but there should be nothing wrong with living our elderly lives quietly in accordance with the illnesses and other effects of our age.
　もちろん、仕事にせよ趣味にせよ、現役のままで８０代、９０代を迎えるのは素晴らしい。やりたいことがあれば「年だから」と遠慮せずに挑戦してほしいもの。でも、誰もがエベレストに登ったりベストセラーを出版したりする必要はない。そういう人はとても珍しいからこそ、世間から注目されるのだ。「年相応」というのは近ごろはなんだか否定的な言葉にも聞こえるが、その年なりの病や老いとも向き合いつつ、静かにすごす高齢ライフがあってもいいはずだ。

To seniors I would like to say, enjoy yourselves without pushing too hard.
　楽しむけれど、無理はしすぎない。そんな生活を楽しんで、と人生の先輩たちには伝えたい。

(By Rika Kayama, psychiatrist)
毎日新聞　2013年06月04日　地方版