>>> WE’RE BACK 8:36 WITH A TOPIC THAT’S VERY IMPORTANT BUT NOT
ALWAYS EASY TO DISCUSS.
GETTING OLDER CAN LEAVE US
FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE.
FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE. LUCKY FOR US FAMED JOURNALIST,
AUTHOR AND LONG TIME FRIEND
WROTE A BOOK, I LOVE IT, "WHY
DID I COME INTO THIS ROOM?"
JOAN, GOOD MORNING.
HAVE YOU SEEN MY GLASSES?
I CAN’T FIND THEM ANYWHERE.
THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT.
WE GET OLDER AND SUDDENLY FEEL
LIKE I’M LOSING IT.
>> WHEN YOU’RE IN YOUR 20s YOU
DON’T THINK ANYTHING ABOUT IT
BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT PROGRAMMED TO
WORRY.
WORRY. ONCE YOU’RE IN THE 40s, 50s AND
YOU START COMING OUT OF THE MALL
SAYING WHERE DID I PARK MY CAR
OR LOOKING FOR YOUR GLASSES, YOU
LOOK ALL OVER, IN YOUR COAT
POCKET AND YOU REALIZE THEY ARE
ON YOUR FACE.
>> YES.
>> YES. BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU DECIDED
TO WRITE THIS BOOK AND IT SPRUNG
FROM AN APPEARANCE ON THE
"TODAY" SHOW A COUPLE YEARS
BACK.
BACK. >> I WAS DOING A SPECIAL SERIES
FOR THE SHOW ON THE VALUE OF
FRIENDSHIPS AND COMPANIONSHIP,
WHICH IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT AS
WE GET OLDER, AND I HAD AN
INTERVIEW WITH THE HOLLYWOOD
REPORTER, A PHONE INTERVIEW, TO
PROMOTE THE SERIES.
THIS GUY ANSWERED.
I COULD TELL HE WAS YOUNG WHEN
HE ANSWERED.
HE ANSWERED. BUT HIS FIRST QUESTION, WHAT’S
IT LIKE NOW GOING BACK TO
MORNING TV AS A SENIOR CITIZEN.
THAT WAS HIS FIRST QUESTION.
>> LIKE, WAIT, WHO IS THE SENIOR
CITIZEN.
CITIZEN. >> WHO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
THIS IS JOAN LUNDEN.
IT STOPPED ME IN MY TRACKS.
IT STARTED ME THINKING ABOUT, IS
THAT HOW I’M PERCEIVED NOW
BECAUSE OF MY AGE.
WHY ARE WE SO TIED TO AGE?
IF YOU HAVE FOUR WOMEN ALL 62,
THEY ARE PROBABLY INCREDIBLY
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. THE WORST DESCRIPTION IS THAT
THEY ARE 62.
THE DANGER IS THAT WHEN WE START
THINKING OF OURSELVES AS THAT
AGE, SOMETIMES WE TART TO THINK
THAT WE ARE LESS CAPABLE, THAT
WE CAN HAVE LESS THINGS WE CAN
EXPECT TO HAPPEN IN OUR LIVES.
>> ACTUALLY TELLING SOMEONE’S
AGE IS THE LEAST DID HE
TRANSCRIPTIVE THING YOU CAN SAY.
SAY WHAT YOU FEEL.
>> EVERYONE HAS A NUMBER IN
THEIR HEAD.
THEIR HEAD. >> I GUESS I DO.
>> WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER.
>> LIKE 38.
I WOULD LIKE THAT.
>> 40s.
>> 40s. >> I’M IN MY 40s, 48.
>> IT’S USUALLY 10 YEARS YOUNGER
AS TO HOW YOUR BRAIN THINKS OF
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK WOMEN ARE
MOST RELUCTANT TO TALK ABOUT
WHEN IT COMES TO AGING?
>> THERE’S SO MANY THINGS THAT
HAPPEN TO WOMEN THAT DON’T
HAPPEN TO MEN BECAUSE OF
DECLINING ESTROGEN.
DECLINING ESTROGEN. DESPITE THE HOT FLASHES, PEOPLE
SEEM TO BE OKAY TALKING ABOUT
HOT FLASHES IN REGARD TO SOMEONE
ELSE HAVING THEM.
SO MANY OTHER THINGS.
LEAKY BLADDERS, DISCOMFORT IN
SEX.
SEX. THE INABILITY TO SLEEP, LOSS OF
LIBIDO, EXPANDING WAISTLINES.
THESE THINGS ARE ANNOYING AND
WORRISOME TO A WOMAN.
SO OFTEN WE JUST THINK IT’S
HAPPENING TO US.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME.
THE NEXT THING IS TO SAY I’M NOT
AS APPEALING, I’M NOT AS
DESIRABLE.
DESIRABLE. THEN IT GOES DOWN THAT TRACK.
IF WE JUST STOP LETTING THESE
THINGS BE TABU AND WE ALL
STARTED TALKING ABOUT THEM
BECAUSE THEY HAPPEN TO EVERYONE.
>> WHY DON’T WE ALL JUST TALK
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. THERE’S SO MANY LOVELY THINGS
THAT MAKE PEOPLE FEEL GOOD WHEN
THEY READ THIS BOOK.
DECLINE TO DECLINE.
IT EMBODIES YOUR ATTITUDE.
WE CAN GO THROUGH THEM.
GET IN THE SUNSHINE AND FRESH
AIR.
AIR. >> INTERESTINGLY ISOLATION
ACCORDING TO EXPERTS IS AS
DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH AS
SMOKING 15 CIGARETTES A DAY.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. >> SO IT SOUNDS MUNDANE AND SO
SIMPLISTIC BUT GETTING OUT.
>> TAKE A LITTLE WALK EVEN IF
YOUR BACK HURTS JUST A LITTLE
BIT.
BIT. >> THEY SAY THE THREE THINGS
THAT WILL REALLY PREDICT HOW
WELL YOU AGE ARE STAYING ENGAGED
IN LIFE, HAVING SOCIAL
CONNECTIONS, JOIN CLUBS, GET
FRIENDS, SO WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN
THE MORNING YOU HAVE SOMEBODY TO
TALK TO AND TO RELATE TO AND
SHARE THINGS WITH.
THE LAST THING IS HAVING A SENSE
OF PURPOSE.
OF PURPOSE. YOU DON’T HAVE TO JOIN SOME BIG
CLUB OR SOMETHING, JUST DO A
GOOD DEED.
GOOD DEED. >> PUT ENERGY IN YOUR VOICE.
WHY DO YOU SAY THAT?
>> SOME PEOPLE GET LOUDER
BECAUSE THEY CAN’T HEAR.
WOMEN ESPECIALLY THEY START TO
TALK MORE SOFTLY.
AND YOU BECOME MEEK.
YOU BECOME UNENGAGED.
THEY SAY SING AT HOME.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT OUT IN
PUBLIC BUT AT HOME.
IF YOU SING, IT’S HARD TO SING
TO A SONG IN A WHISPER.
SO IT LET’S YOU BRING YOUR VOICE
OUT AND THAT REALLY ENGAGES YOU
IN LIFE.
IN LIFE. IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO BE AN
ACTIVE MEMBER OF LIFE.
>> LIKE I SAID, THERE’S A LOT
THAT’S REALLY FUN IN THIS BOOK.
YOU GET GOOD INFORMATION BUT
SUCH A NIGHT, LIGHT, WARM HEART
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. >> I DON’T KNOW IF YOU’VE GOTTEN
TO THE LAST CHAPTER BUT IT’S I
WANT TO BE CREMATED, IT’S MY
LAST CHANCE FOR A SMOKIN’ HOT
BODY.
BODY. >> THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING
ABOUT.
ABOUT. JOAN LUNDEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.