Outliers

When I read the excerpt from Outliers about the story of Roseto, and what happened with the immigrants after they migrated to Pennsylvania, it reminded me of my great grandmother. Wolf discovers in the story that the Rosetan people were healthier than any other people in nearby towns. This made him curious as to why this was true, so he embarked upon research to find out.  During his research he learned that they actually didn't eat healthy food , smoked, and rarely exercised, even though they had better statistics of a healthy life than many people who did the total opposite. He then realized after visiting Roseto that it wasn't about their eating habits, or lack of exercise, but it was about how they interacted with one another and the way they lived in their community. Being able to see all the things that effect the individual is what sociological imagination is all about. Just like the Rosetan people, my great grandmother cooked with lard, didn't really exercise, and drank beer everyday; however, she lived to be 97 and was in good health to the end. One interesting fact, is that my grandmother never lived alone, and always lived with family. She was  close to her extended family , and even in her elderly years she lived with my grandparents. People would always ask her, "what is your magic medicine that lets you live so long?", and she would always answer, "my family and my friends". So it's clear that when people are secure, unstressed, and filled with love and respect, just like the people of Roseto, your body responds favorably to the external social influences.