In last week's column the dramatic Greek myth of Eos and Tithonus informed us that life without health may not be a blessing — especially, when a long life means a long death. For many today, though, without the help of divine intervention as in the Greek story, we have achieved not only an explosion in life extension but relatively healthy, long lives for the majority of those who embrace healthy diets and healthy lifestyles. People are routinely living into their 80s and 90s, and 100-year-olds have become commonplace. There are currently about 70,000 centenarians in the United States. So it's not surprising that last year Hallmark sold 80,000 birthday cards honoring 100-year-olds. Hallmark should be pleased to learn that by 2050 there may be as many as 850,000 centenarians in the United States. And hundred-year-olds might have to step out of the limelight as the growing number of 110-year-olds and older elders move to center stage.

Photographer Jerry Friedman's book of photos of supercentenarians (age 110 plus) from around the world shows us the upward trajectory of longevity. I met one of Friedman's remarkable supercentenarians, Swami Bua (born 1889), who lives in Manhattan. He still teaches yoga, and can do many of the difficult yoga asanas (postures) that athletic young adults might struggle with; he also reads small print without glasses. Swami Bua may very well be the poster boy for the 21st century corps of aging adults.

Down the road we can anticipate further gains in healthy longevity. Estimates vary. If you believe Cambridge biologist Dr. Aubrey de Grey, author of "Ending Aging," immortality for humans may come sooner than you think. Then, even if science doesn't give us immortality, surely there will be significant gains in average lifespans as the new golden age of biology, just in its infancy, tackles and tinkers with the genetic aging code.

All this should be good news meriting breaking out the champagne and breaking into dances of joy celebrating the fountain of life. But that's not happening.

Just as the Goddess Eos was shocked when she realized that, in her haste to get longevity for the mortal Tithonus, she had forgotten to include healthy immortality, we have achieved life extension with good health but have forgotten to attend to the support systems to ensure that a longer life is a meaningful and quality life.

As we step into the fountain of life, a chill has overtaken us. Social Security and Medicare may go bust or be severely curtailed over the next few decades, if not sooner, say many experts. Policy makers and politicians can see nothing but trouble ahead for longevity — trouble for individuals, families, the healthcare system, the economy and society as a whole. Typical of this glum view, one book about the worldwide longevity revolution even has an ominous and foreboding title: "Gray Dawn." The picture that pundits paint is so dreary, some folks might regret that Dr. Kevorkian isn't back in business.

Why has the prospect of a long life shifted from awesome dream to dreary dread? What happened to the exciting side of longevity? — that it offered the possibility to fulfill dreams, explore life to its fullest, provide opportunities to start new paths and adventures that there was never time for, a chance to know many generations of grandchildren, great-grand children — even great-great-grandchildren — and just more time to witness the wonders of life unfold.

Politicians: Will you please get to work on the nitty-gritty and bottom line of longevity so we can return to the dream? Rather than a gray dawn, you can create the miracle of glorious dawn — and this is the time of year for miracles!

Merry Christmas and L'Chaim — To Life!

(My book "Escape Your Own Prison: Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free" is now available at Amazon.com,Barnes & Noble.com and other major book outlets.)

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Bernard Starr, Ph.D., formerly professor of developmental and educational psychology at the City University of New York, now teaches "Spirituality in Film" and leads "The Spiritual Forum" at Marymount Manhattan College. In addition to his work in radio, he is a longtime contributor of commentary and opinion articles to numerous major publications. He is also the main United Nations representative for the Institute of Global Education that founded the Mucherla Global School in Mucherla, India. His book "Escape Your Own Prison: Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free" has been published by Rowman & Littlefield. He can be reached at {email OmniCns@aol.com}OmniCns@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Bernard Starr.