Perspective on Age

It is so much fun for us to share with our Kenyan friends about our life and family in Canada. They have such interesting questions: Does the snow burn your skin? You mean that if someone doesn’t have food to eat, they can go to a bank and get some food? You mean there really is no Santa Claus?Recently our discussion revolved around the photos that we brought back from Christmas vacation. Seeing pictures of our parents, the Kenyans were surprised at their ages and yet how young they looked! They said that most Kenyans have no teeth left by age 50, walk stooped over by 55. They doubled over with laughter when we said that our parents, in their 70s, are still driving!

The Kenyan life expectancy is 46 years (partly due to the AIDS epidemic). An “old” person is anyone over 30. Because of the hard physical work, their bodies just wear out sooner. Also the sun weathers skin and gives it the appearance of being very old. Some of the Kenyan women have commented on my skin looking very young – I have explained that I also have access to face moisturizer and sun block. Most of them tell me they put Vaseline on their faces for moisturizer……