The New York Times ran an excellent profile of naturalist and local Vancouver legend Alexandra Morton. She has spent her life studying orcas and salmon near the Broughton Archipelago off the coast of British Columbia. But over the last decades, her attention was forced toward fish farms and sea lice, which threaten the future of both salmon and orcas. This profile documents her battle against fish farms and her increasingly credible science.
Sea lice, prolific around fish farms, infect wild salmon as they travel by...
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I know what I'm about to write is a far off topic as the farthest reaches of the Universe are from Earth. But first let me say that I saw the article on Mrs. Alexandra Morton in the N.Y. Times today "Saving Wild Salmom in hopes of saving Orca". I scanned through it and I admire her work - esp. that she essentially, with great personal effort and lot of trust from others, was and is able to have made such an impact. To that I say: you go girl.
However I have to honestly say the first thing that attracted my attention was her photograph in the article and the notation that she was just "26 years old" in 1984. Doing some quick calculations I deduced that she was either born in 1957 or 1958. I confirmed through some quick googling that her birth year was 1957.
I was a gasped at that conclusion. Why? She's only 51 and yet had I not known how old she really was and passed her on the street I'd have sworn she was in mid-70's with a good start on being in her 80's.
Ya see I was born mid-way through 1956. I'm a guy. Currently I'm am 52. To date, though I have increased in my mid-section compared to when I was 27 and 28 in 1984, basically I have all my hair - nary any of it is grey - in fact ya have to search for them just find them, most of my teeth (all the wisdoms are gone) and not one wrinkle. Most people who do not know my exact age often place me in early 40's - some in my very late 30's. I don't use anything artificial to preserve my youthful appearance either.
So I have to ask: what the heck happened to Alexandra? Why has she aged to quickly? Some of her same aged peers look as fresh and young as some twenty-somethings. I know they use the artificial stuff to do that. Was it menopause? Was it a hard life? Was it her genetics? Was it her refusal to use skin creams and hair dye because of her commitment as an environmentalist? Was it combination of all these?
I really, of course, don't know. And I mean no disrespect for Mrs. Morton.
For most of the last 40 years most women didn't get 'grannyfied" until they were either in their late 60's or early 70's. Before those last four decades the "dear OLD mom" look was not uncommon in women in the late 40's.
So I have to wonder, is Mrs. Morton, at least in her appearance, a throw-back to the middle-aged female appearance before the advent of the youth culture or she is avant-guard to what is coming? Maybe a little of both, I think?
Indeed, variance is a strength in any population. I believe Alexandra has lived an adventurous but not lighthearted life; the death of a spouse, being a single mother, an ongoing (and stressful) battle to save wildlife could each contribute to early signs of aging not that I am conceding that she appears old. In fact, I think it's simply her gray hair (which, yes, most women dye away) that paints her as a bit more elderly than her age.
Moreover, in your comment I find a tone that perhaps supports this bizarre finding reported in the "Happenings" section of Harper's magazine (October '08):
Economists established that American women start out life happier than American men but die sadder, and that the men overtake the women in happiness at age 48.
ohh my good
wooow very very good
How can you be talking about her age and/or appearance given the article at hand? Try giving the topic and the author some time and actually looking at the data instead of avoiding the realities of what her science is proving...give me a break.
thank you
I cannot believe you are commenting on her looks! This is perhaps one of the most beautiful women in the world because Alex lives in true spirit and harmony with nature. This is the way we should all live. Your beauty is never ever on the outside it only counts when it is on the inside.She has tirelessly lived her life in service to others and to nature and to me she is my hero.
I cannot believe you are commenting on her looks! This is perhaps one of the most beautiful women in the world because Alex lives in true spirit and harmony with nature.
So I have to ask: what the heck happened to Alexandra? Why has she aged to quickly? thank you :)
he has tirelessly lived her life in service to others and to nature and to me she is my hero. thanks
he has tirelessly lived her life in service to others and to nature and to me she is my hero. thanks
Salmons need to be more stable place, i think like this.
I listened to you research on the CBC radio tonight and it amazed me and lifted me to realize how important these fish are and how we are all connected....this cycle has been broken as are many cycles that GOD has put forth for us to honour....I am sadden and yet have a great passion to do something now....please let me know how I can help? God bless you.
I cannot believe you are commenting on her looks! This is perhaps one of the most beautiful women in the world because Alex lives in true spirit and harmony with nature. This is the way we should all live. Your beauty is never ever on the outside it only counts when it is on the inside.She has tirelessly lived her life in service to others and to nature and to me she is my hero. . .
I cannot believe you are commenting on her looks! This is perhaps one of the most beautiful women in the world because Alex lives in true spirit and harmony with nature.