No sex is secret to long life, says 105-year-old Clara, Britain's oldest virgin

[Poll_Blind]

But, at the ripe old age of 105, Clara Meadmore could trump the lot: a life of celibacy.

--snip--

Miss Meadmore says she has always been too busy for relationships and thought of physical intimacy as a 'hassle'.

The former secretary, who will celebrate her birthday tomorrow, said she had no regrets about remaining a virgin and had turned down several marriage proposals.

Miss Meadmore said: 'People have asked whether I am a homosexual and the answer is no. I have just never been interested in or fancied having sex.

Three words, lady- cause it ain't too late:

LAU-DER-DALE!

PB

[DS1]

1. Britain's oldest victim

[BlooInBloo]

2. (shrug) And George Burns says the secret is smoking cigars.

[verges]

21. I like George's secret better. nt

[Hissyspit]

Who wants to live forever?

[ladjf]

3. Ma'am. I hate to sound disrespectful to an elder but, could you

please clam up about the relationship between sexual abstinence and longevity.

[arcadian]

4. I'd hit that

:rofl:

[Poll_Blind]

11. She's got a young-Robert-McNamara thing going on...

PB

[Cirque du So-What]

5. I too recommend celibacy for a long, long life

You may not live to see 105, but it'll sure as hell SEEM like it!

[SocratesInSpirit]

6. As Patsy Stone once said...

Celibacy leaves a lot to be desired.

[Warpy]

7. She might be right, at that

Childbirth killed a lot more women off in the 20s and 30s than it does now that we have antibiotics and know how to recognize and treat things like eclampsia. Condoms were available then but not as reliable as they are now. Sex cost a woman a great deal back then, including her freedom. Many of her rights as a separate human being ended when she married.

At least she came of age when knowing how to type was a ticket to economic independence of sorts.

Absent sexual desire has been noted in both sexes. It's rare but it exists. There was never anything wrong with this lady, she just is who she is.

[Gwendolyn]

15. Very good point!!!

But if ever there was a face full of longing...hers is it.

[Warpy]

16. You see longing

I see a great peace.

[silverojo]

19. That's what I see, too.

Everybody rails about equality for homosexuals, bisexuals, this-sexuals and that-sexuals.

How about equality for people like this woman, who's made her choice not to have sex, and has no regrets? Why should she, and people like her, be ridiculed for telling the truth about themselves?

If she's somehow a loser for not bedding down with anyone, she's sure having the last laugh...name any one of us who will make it to 105. Hell, even George Burns didn't survive that long.

This lady deserves respect, not ridicule.

[undergroundpanther]

37. People are bigoted

Against asexuals. I deal with it on occasion.I'm asexual.
It gets really old dealing with all the projections. But there are some people that just will never get it that another person can be radically different than themselves.

[SammyWinstonJack]

24. I see that too.

[Gwendolyn]

26. Do you? :-)

She has the face my grandmother had at age 99 just before she passed. She wasn't celibate, did her duty, although unhappily married. My Granddad died early and it seemed that only after that, did she begin enjoying life. Bothered my dad. Lol. Took yoga classes at 88. :) Still had PLENTY to say at 99. But she always seemed to long for something... just got that from what she would tell me about always pursuing what I wanted. Women who started off in the early part of the last century didn't have the choices we do. I wasn't really talking about sex. Maybe I'm just projecting and it's the way we all will look if/when we get old.

[SammyWinstonJack]

22. !

:thumbsup:

[AnnieBW]

8. Billy Joel was wrong

The good do not die young.

[BurtWorm]

9. No wonder she's not smiling.

[Arugula Latte]

10. Hey you kids! Get off her lawn!

:hide:

Okay, that was gross.

[Poll_Blind]

12. Searched on her name on the off chance that she had previously made history- and she DID!

Largest collection of Fukuoko headache massagers in Europe! 4,016- who knows how many more are in the mail for her birthday?!



PB

[latebloomer]

63. Not tonight, dear

I have a headache!

[4lbs]

13. Sorry, but I'd rather have sex regularly and die happy at the age of 70.

n/t

[Beacool]

30. Spoken like a man.

}(

[Pastiche423]

33. Sorry, but I'd rather have sex regularly and die happy at the age of 70

And I have a vagina.

[Beacool]

40. OK, OK, so do I................

:evilgrin:

[ColoradoMagician]

14. Prostate cancer is caused by a prostate that is not used enough

Virgins know nothing about sex, birth control or raising families.

I would rather judge based on my experiences rather than her lack of experience.

[Beacool]

31. Yeah, blame your prostate............l

:eyes:

[ThoughtCriminal]

17. My Great-Grandmother was 101

Not worth an extra 4 years.

[quakerboy]

43. my great grand made it to 101

and grandpa went to 100 even.

Honestly, I don't want to be around that long, given the rate I am physically ageing. Plus I like the sex.

Much luck to her though. Seems like she's happy. May she make it to 130 and break all the records(plus infuriate the fundies)

[Ms. Toad]

18. Hate to burst y'all's balloon - but asexuality is an orientation

similar to bisexuality, homosexuality and heterosexuality. The orientation has little to do with celibacy or abstinence (which have to do with depriving yourself of something desireable) it has to do with not being interested in being sexually active.

I don't know if this woman identifies as asexual, but her comments suggest she might be. (I probably wouldn't have been aware of this orientation, except I have a friend who identifies as asexual.)

http://www.asexuality.org/home/

[undergroundpanther]

35. Thank YOU

It IS an orientation..I am an asexual.

Being around sexualized people gets old fast when sex is boring as hell to you.
I get my kicks above the neckline,sunshine.

Here is how it is to be asexual...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x40621

[flvegan]

20. Opinions are a delight.

We all get to have as many as we choose to have.

Congrats on 105, Miss Meadmore.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

23. I'm doomed!

:cry:

[Bluebear]

25. Well, it's been nice knowing all of you. nt

[wtmusic]

27. It would be kind of sad if she had an orgasm now

and realized what she'd been missing for the last 85 years. :cry:

[Gwendolyn]

29. What makes you think she hasn't had a zillion of them?

:)

[lcdnumber6]

28. ugh what sort of life is that?!

to each his/her own, I guess....

[undergroundpanther]

36. I am asexual

What if I said Ugh you have sex??!! what a horrible life you live Ugh eewww..How does that feel? It feels insulting doesn't it?

So let her be!

[Gwendolyn]

42. Why do you think she had no sexual pleasure?

She was born into another world, where it was kept secret. How old are you? If you have no desires at all, you should ask your doc, if you are covered.

[undergroundpanther]

58. Why?

It's my orientation. I can orgasm, the organs function as they should,so?.Sex just is boring to me.I just don't care for it.I seek what is meaningful TO ME.I don't give a shit what Sigmund,or Galton says or society says is "normal". I need to be happy and for me to find joy, sex is not occupying my mind.Other things are more important to me.It's just how I am.It has been like this my whole life including adolesence..So what is YOUR problem with MY orientation? Sounds like YOU got the 'sexuality' issues,not me.Oh,and I wasn't brought up to be religious or anything like that.It is my orientation,I don't WANT to go to a doctor because NOTHING is wrong with me.And I got a therapist whom AGREES with me that my orientation IS Asexual..And she has no problem with that,so why do YOU?

[Dr. Strange]

51. Welcome to DU, lcdnumber6!

Love your avatar!

[undergroundpanther]

32. She just isn't into sex

Some people ARE asexuals,by nature. It's normal.

Some sexually active people can't imagine life without sex and they project that on others.
Truth is some like life better without sex.
I am not a big fan of sex,myself,I can think of many more interesting things to do with someone than sex.To me sex is boring.Do it once or twice,yawn it's the same thing.whoop de do.It's BORING.

http://www.asexuality.org/home/

[Kitty Herder]

41. I can understand that.

I'm not asexual, far from it. But I think I understand it somewhat, because I go through long periods of time (years) when I'm just not interested in sex. And then I'll have a brief period in which I'm very much interested. I know it's weird, but it's just how I am.

[undergroundpanther]

59. and you know what,

That is what you is , it's what you is,and you NEVER need to justify what you ARE to anyone else.If they can't wrap their limited minds around that,and scorn you,they are the ones with hang ups not you.

[LeftyMom]

34. I'd rather die young of terminal rug burn, thanks.

But whatever floats your boat.

[LiberalHeart]

38. Oh great. NOW she tells me -- 56 years too late.

[Adsos Letter]

39. ...yes...

...and being celibate for 105 years is bound to make yer life seem/feel about twice as long...

[vanderBeth]

44. No thanks. ;)

[MrSlayer]

45. Whatever works for you.

Me, I need my medicine at least every other day or I'm unhappy.

[TexasObserver]

46. I suppose asking her for a Happy Ending is out of the question.

[timtom]

47. Could she be right???

Why, just yesterday (true story), I went to the used car lot to pick up my transfer and registration that had finally come in on a recently-purchased car.

I was talking to the salesman outside the office, when a lad came up and asked if "he's seen our new mascot", the "he" being me. They explained that inside the office was a woman of 104 years.

She was waiting for her daughter, who was looking at cars.

My take on all this: celibacy may buy you one year of life more.

And, at that age, I would question the quality of life.

[old mark]

48. Well, it's way too late now....

....and maybe it just SEEMS longer.


mark

[specialed]

49. If I lived to be 105 and a virgin...

I'd look that sad too.

[MiniMe]

50. Some things just aren't worth it

[spanone]

52. i'd rather die young....oops, too late

[Javaman]

53. Meh, my grandma lived to 103, she had a shot of whisky every morning

smoked a cigar every other day and had 5 kids.

it's genetic.

what needs to be looked at is this womans family, how long did the rest of them live?

[SidDithers]

54. Might be the secret for her long life...

but it's hardly empirical evidence.

Sid

[KansDem]

55. Well, I guess I'd rather be asexual in a world of sex...

...than sex-starved in a world of abstinence.

[AzNick]

56. Oldest person ever smoked until 117

Jeanne Calment smoked up until she was 117 and had to stop because she could not see anymore and noone would light up a cigarette for her, saying "it is bad for you".

Cigarettes make you live longer?

Caveat: she only smoked once or twice a day, only French brands, without all the nasty chemicals the American companies add to make their cigarettes more addictive.

[tammywammy]

57. I'll pass

I'd rather have sex and die at 70 than no sex and live until 105+.

[Saphire]

60. Geez, I shoulda died years ago.

[rebecca_herman]

61. Oh, leave the poor woman alone

Granted I'm a lot younger then her, but I'm 23 and never felt the desire to have sex and if I never do, well I'll die a virgin like her and I wouldn't want to be pitied for it, because I'll have filled my life with other things that I actually cared about.

I'm not sure if I'm actually asexual or just haven't met the right person yet, but it's definitley not something I feel a need for right now. I do have a biological drive for children but there's always donor sperm or adoption if it turns out to be the case, I suppose. I haven't dated much (to be honest I'm rather afraid to date much in what feels like a sex-crazed culture to me), and I've never met a man I really cared about, so I don't feel I can say for sure right now. So all I know is I don't have a sex drive outside a relationship with someone I care about, and it's not something I seek out or want as a single person. I guess the rest is something I'll only know in time, because it's not something I want to do at all right now, but the thought of maybe doing it under the right circumstances doesn't horrify me, either. *shrug*

Some people think it's weird or pitiful I'm a virgin at 23 (I'm female so they think I must be ZOMG HIDEOUS UGLY AAAH! if they don't know me in person. But I'm quite average/normal looking. I just really haven't wanted to. Really!)

[SocratesInSpirit]

62. Wow...

this thread generated a lot of interesting conversation. Here's my serious response (as opposed to the flippant one I posted earlier):

If celibacy floats your boat, that's cool. But I don't think I would want to live life without sex. It's not the most important part of a relationship, but for me, it is a very important aspect. For me, sex is a sacred part of a loving relationship. I could never do one-night stands; I need to love the person I share myself with. It's not just a physical thing to me, but also an emotional and spiritual one as well.

For several years, I struggled with sex. I was brought up in a sexually-repressed family, and I had a lot of guilt issues that prevented me from enjoying sex. But thanks to my patient husband, and my creative writing, I was able to work out these issues. These days, sex is an easy, natural, enjoyable physical expression of my love for my husband.

Then there's the whole cultural aspect to consider. Americans are so damn schizophrenic about sex - on the one hand, you have the media presenting a narrow, limiting view of what it means to be sexual, and on the other you have the Puritanical religious right trying to sweep any discussion of the subject off the table with their censorship and abstinence-only malarkey. One side cheapens sex for commercial gain, the other makes its into something taboo and dirty. Surely we can do better than this!

In a world of bad sex, I'm fortunate to have found someone I connected with - physically, emotionally and spiritually.