Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is exceptional. The 92-year-old powered back into Malaysian politics as Prime Minister after stepping down in 2003, leading an opposition coalition that toppled his former party.

He is fortunate, like the six persons featured in The Sunday Times Life article Young At Heart. Like the other five featured, I have led a relatively privileged life. We have been sustained by strong social networks, financial security, family support, reasonably good health and continuing education, and an intellectual curiosity about the world. We are the lucky ones and the pioneers of the oncoming "silver tsunami". We don't know how people are supposed to behave at 80 or 90 or 100, so we just do our own thing.