DIvine Synchronicity

The island where people forget to die

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Here are two great articles about Icaria, the Greek Isle where residents live profoundly long and healthful lives.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/the-island-where-people-forget-to-die.html
The secret?  Possibly, eating quality food, drinking wine, a slow pace of life, and a close community.   The NY Times article opens with the story of Stamatis Moraitis, who came to the US in 1946.  Diagnosed with lung cancer in 1976, he decided to move back to his homeland rather than go through aggressive chemotherapy.  Smart move.
 Ikarian R, wrote an excellent comment to the New York Times article:

I live on Ikaria and was here when the reporters from PBS, CNN, National Geographic & Aarp plus statisticians and scientists were here doing the research on ‘some” of the 95 yrs. ++ people.

What I’ve found is a community that is committed to each other, accepting, nurturing, self sufficient, having a childlike spirit, & loving to tell stories.  They “truly” live in the present moment. They don’t live thinking about the next place to go.  It’s a lifestyle.  No body read about it. They just “are” it.

I’ve learn to cook, weave rugs, make fruit liquors, and marmalades, tend my garden, identify medicinal herbs by just watching.   The air, water, wine, honey, olive oil, potatoes and eggs from our chickens (yes I do) makes one feel lucky.  I’m 65 and a baby here.  My neighbor is 86 and she runs circles around 10 people, the bee keeping instructor is 84 and dances all night at the panigiris (all night festivals)…says its the Ikarian honey.

The Ikarians “know” there is something special here and want to keep it.  Doors are not locked, children run freely all around the village, NO crime, fear; non existent.
Someone asked if there is TV, yes, there is and the people here watch news from BBC, CNN, Russia Today, France 24 and Aljazeera, so they can talk with more information than many elsewhere.

Homer wrote of the wine of Ikaria in the Iliad, Therma’s waters were the ancient ‘Healing mecca”, and today the olive oil, honey & nature are considered some of the best in Greece.

The New York Times piece can be found here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/the-island-where-people-forget-to-die.html
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