A couple of decades ago, "Popeye the sailor man" was a popular cartoon series, where Popeye used to quickly swallow a can of spinach whenever he needed additional strength to fend off adversaries nearly twice his size.

Thos humorous episodes not only convinced many children to eat their spinach, because it was good for them, but also made them believe that eating spinach would give them the strength and the courage to resist any bully they may have to face on their way to school. one of Popeye's popular sayings was, "I yam what I yam," talking as he did with a corncob pipe clenched between his teeth.

Popeye was neither the best looking nor toughest guy around but he used whatever nature had given him in the best way he knew how. He was satisfied with his appearance and didn't let the opinions of others bother him. Any insulting criticism thrown Popeye's way could end with a fist to the nose.

Today, we live in a culture that worships youth and beauty-twenty-one being the pinnacle-and afterward, a slow, dreary slide to the junk yard of old age and infirmity. Nobody wants to think of themselves as growing old, but it a process we all have to accept. Barring death or accident, life doesn't stop at twenty-one, just because we would like it to.

Regardless of the psychological resistance to aging, the body is busy in the process of dieing and regenerating itself. 20,000 body cells die and are replaced every minute. The cells that are replaced are not exactly like the ones that die, so you are not exactly the same person from one minute to the next. The noticeable changes do not occur until weeks or months, but the change is persistent. Every seven years or so, bodily cells have been completely replaced, resulting in a new body that our culture may not always find in vogue.

But keep in mind that the traditions of all cultures seem to be at odds with reality. Humankind, it seems, wants to put on its own show of games and sport with the laws of nature. When you hear teenagers, for example, whine that adults are "out of touch with reality," this is simply a new generation in the process of developing its own set of illusive beliefs and behaviors, just as generations in the past. Admittedly, most of the behavioral changes that occur in society are from the result of changes and advancements made in technology. This historical phenomenon has been going on, especially since after the industrial revolution.

We live in a society, today,

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