Darwin versus Dior

                     Darwin versus Dior

In scientific circles, the debate over whether nature or nurture most influences humans as a species has been batted back and forth for ages. A recent sixty minutes television special offered up a study on a small population living in a California Retirement community. Their conclusions seem interesting until you compare that population with folks of similar age in the general population. Then I think we would see  a different set of results.

Most people  fortunate enough to be living in a “retirement community” are probably blessed with a higher income, better access to medical care, more daily socialization , less stress and a host of other factors that would mitigate the planned results of Mr. Darwin and lean more towards the influences of Mr. Dior.

Are there really those lucky people with “good genes” who seem to thrive regardless of what physical abuses they subject themselves? We have all seen centenarians who claim they smoked, had a few drinks daily , sneered at any form of exercise and never paid much attentions to their nutrition. Similarly, we all know of health fanatics who did none of the above, exercised like crazy and still expired earlier than would be normal. What gives with this? Is there a cosmic lottery in place that assigns us a number at birth that determines our relative health and length of life span?

 The strict Calvinists used to think that way about our spiritual lives. It didn’t matter what you did on earth, you were either assigned a lucky spiritual number at birth or you were doomed no matter what you did. I see a similar debate raging over global warming. Is it man made or simply a climactic shift? No one seems to be able to conclude anything decisively.

For lack of definitive answers, I guess you have to eschew the “assigned number” theory and do the best you can to maintain a sound and healthy body. They say that there are no atheists in foxholes during combat. I would suspect the same principle applies to terminal illness wards in our hospitals.

           We none of us know either what awaits us in the hereafter or what life approach will hurry us to that destination. The phrase “carpe diem” comes to mind. Seize the day! Make the most of what you have and live life to the fullest. Then, whether it be Dior or Darwin that determines our fate, we will have done the best we could to maximize that which we are given.  And of course, always be wary of that errant bus that could take you to your reward , while crossing the street on any given day, whether or not Mr. Darwin or Dior agrees with the results.

                                    -30-

                              ( 466 words)

                         Joseph Xavier Martin