Q: My husband reads the obituaries in our paper every day. Even though he does not know the deceased, he says he is always curious about how others have experienced their lives.

Recently, he put his paper down, looked at me and asked, "Are you aware of the fact that the cause of death is only included in about half of newspaper obituaries?"

My answer was "no," and that frankly, I wasn't very interested in reading about people I didn't know. Are there any good reasons to do so?

A: Obituary notices are an important part of a newspaper's readership, and if for some reason they are not printed, readers complain.

Unless the person who dies is famous — an important politician, well known in film or arts, an important business entrepreneur, an individual who has made a difference, a killer or someone of note — relatives must pay to have an obituary printed. These charges, for the notice and photo, produce additional revenue.

Curiosity, possibly seeing a photo of the deceased (often not current), learning what they did for a living, how many children they raised, compared themselves to others and how they lived prove to be of interest to obituary readers.

They are also interested in the causes of death. Some families choose to release this information, while others believe these facts should be kept private. If the cause of death is suicide, relatives usually prefer to not disclose details. However, if the death is a tragedy, the individual's friends or families sometimes suggest a memorial contribution to the deceased's favorite charity, which should be a clue.

Now doctors and researchers are questioning why people die, as advances allow them to gain more scientific information. How our ancestors died may offer an early warning of our health futures and prove to be more valuable than our birth dates!

Q: I am in my 70s and wonder if my peers are more or less likely to be thinking and feeling as I do. Do we actually become more alike as we age?

A: Of course, we all vary in who we are at any given time and frequently, change our minds. For example, if you purchased a certain brand of toothpaste in your 30s, you are likely to be using the updated version of the same brand even today.

Peers are more likely to use the same thinking process, while today's young are in the habit of switching product loyalty more easily.

The same goes for purchasing cars. Did your family go for Fords? Today's buyers switch car purchases based on their capabilities rather than on brands.

The more we communicate, the more we learn that older individuals do have more in common with one another than with the younger generation.

Doug Mayberry makes the most of life in a Southern California Retirement community. Contact him at [email protected]. To find out more about Doug Mayberry and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.