Recently I read an online article which described a group of elderly Japanese who volunteered to help with the cleanup of the damaged nuclear reactors. They vigorously refuted any notions that they were some kind of “suicide squad.” They were just being practical, they said. “I am 72 and on average I probably have 13 to 15 years left to live,”one said. “Even if I were exposed to radiation, cancer could take 20 or 30 years or longer to develop. Therefore us older ones have less chance of getting cancer.
— Lewis Richmond: Elderhood: A Buddhist Approach to Aging Well
