Things change when you turn 80. Health is involved, but not in the way we usually think of age and medical stuff. Instead, there is the moment — that magical instance when people you met three minutes ago think they now have a license to raise the most intimate questions. “So tell me,” they ask, “how do you account for such good health at your age?”This question includes various assumptions. It implies that I want to talk about health, that I wish to talk about my health, that I do not have a terminal condition that will result in a sudden collapse, and that I know something about health — maybe a special inside secret I might reveal to a stranger. These assumptions are tragically wrong, and here is what I want them to know:I have no interest in talking about health matters, especially when they involve me. Instead, I believe there is a zone of privacy that people should respect.Just because I’m 80 and older than 96% of the population does not mean I’m required to answer questions from people I don’t know or even questions from people I do know.My current medical condition is a private matter, and I hope yours is too. I really don’t want to know about your lumbago or that oozing sore on your lower lip. (And please, please, don’t try to hug me on the way out.)There is no secret longevity formula. When I see my doctor and answer his questions about my health, he never looks at me and says, “Oh wow, that’s amazing. Medical science spends hundreds of billions of dollars a year on research, yet no one ever thought of your approach.” Most importantly, I don’t know why I’m among the fortunate few to not only be 80 but also be in good health — good health, but not perfect health. I have a suspicion about this, but it disappoints most investigators. My theory? You don’t get to be my age without a lot of luck. Think of the Silicon Valley folks who are spending millions of dollars to attain what I have. Their days are built around copious amounts of exercise, pill consumption by the bucket and the careful documentation of each burp and callus. They don’t seem to be having a lot of fun, which to me is one of the great benefits of having their money. Meanwhile, regardless of how many pills they take, such rich people are just like the rest of us; they can still get hit by a truck or die from an aneurysm. As Roseanne Roseannadanna (Gilda Radner) wisely told us long ago on “SNL,” “It’s always something — if it’s not one thing, it’s another.” The standard recommendations for a longer health span tell us to drink less, exercise more, lose weight, don’t smoke, stay away from drugs, sleep seven or eight hours a night, get a dog, take care of our teeth, get married, stay married and see a doctor regularly. Oh, and genetics count. It’s a plus if your family has a history of longevity. Got it. It’s great advice. But in some sense, it may not matter. Take genetics. We can’t change our birth parents. And money matters. Those with a high net worth tend to live longer than those without. In any case, we all know of good people who died young. As the great economist John Maynard Keynes told us, “In the long run, we are all dead.” (If you want one reason why economics is described as the “dismal science,” there you have it.)Better life spans are already here. For instance, people live longer in France (about 83.5 years), Canada (82.7 years), and Japan (84.8 years) than we do in the U.S. (79.5 years), according to the World Population Review. So here’s a thought. Instead of spending millions of dollars to improve longevity, maybe a few Silicon Valley tech bros could just book passage to locations where people live longer. Or come back in their next life as a woman. Women, after all, typically live longer than men, and given all the nonsense they put up with, a few more years only seems fair.And if we should ever meet, please — I beg you — don’t ask how I remain both old and hearty. I don’t know. Honestly. But you might want to buy a truckload of cornflakes .... Peter G. Miller is an author and veteran newspaper columnist. He wrote seven books published originally by Harper & Row, including one with a co-author. Peter has been an accredited correspondent on Capitol Hill, a member of the White House Correspondents Association and the author of a nationally syndicated newspaper column. He was the original creator and host of the AOL Real Estate Desk, one of the earliest comprehensive real estate and mortgage areas online. Peter has been featured on “Oprah!,” the “Today” show, NPR, CNN, CNBC and many other media outlets. He currently writes the “Silver Lining Report” on Substack. Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@huffpost.com.