n Ross Schneiderman’s column “It is impossible to remain Peter Pan” (pg. 3, Feb. 23) showed significant introspection about an age (75) that is probably more than a factor of three away for him.

At 56, I prefer to look toward 100. My father has made it to 85 and my grandmother’s cousin is over 100. When she was 93, she told me that we couldn’t get together to talk family history on Wednesday because “that’s the day that my writing teacher and I go to the nursing home to read poetry to the old folks.”

On that Friday, she downloaded a verbal archive just as fast as I could take notes.

Take heart that with a healthy body and an active mind your days can be bright for a very long time. And there’s no time like the present to exercise them both.

[Full disclosure: A recent course at Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences made clear that I need to do more on the body part …]

William J. Skocpol

Physics Professor

Boston University