Dead at age 112; How long is long enough?

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to live until I am a hundred years old. Back then, it seemed like a grand accomplishment, and, to me, it still feels that way today. Sure, I still dream of being a 100, but today, I know that living is not always living. Nowadays, I still want to live for as long as I can. Maybe even break a record, or something. But aside from living, I would also like to be ALIVE then. Mentally and physically active. Yes, I have been told how demanding I can be.

One who was believed to be the oldest man in the US, as well as the oldest World War II US veteran, died this week. He was a hundred and twelve. Cigars and whiskey were the things that he claimed gave him such a long life. And yes, he was still alive well into his 100s. He even drove widows from the neighborhood to church. (The article does not state his marital status, but I choose to think that he was doing that out of the goodness of his heart, and not to construct a real life version of Tinder for himself.)

It is interesting to see where the oldest people in the world come from, because it makes you think of the lifestyle they led, and maybe have you try imitate it. The government of Japan claims that there are approximately 68 THOUSAND people over the age of 100 in their country.

I found a great image that compiles a lot of interesting facts regarding centennials (those that live 100 years, or more). I am not sure when the data was compiled, but I know it must have been before April of 2018, because that is when Nabi Tajima died (not reflected in the image). Whether it is outdated a bit, or not, it still holds crucial info for those, who are determined to prolong their lives. It is a bit to my surprise, that so many of those who live the longest are people in the US.

There are people, who claim to have lived for longer than 122 years, but their claims are hard to prove. Record breaking age is only recognized when detailed proof of life is being presented. A man, from Indonesia, who died last year, is said to have been 146 years old has not been verified as the oldest man. In Indonesia, births were not formally recorded before the year of 1900, which means that any claim to being born before that, cannot be verified. A Nigerian, and a man from Ethiopia claim to have lived over 170 and 160 respectively, but again, that remains a mere speculation without any supporting evidence.

The oldest person alive is currently Kane Tanaka, who will be 116 on the second of January.

This year, an average worldwide life expectancy was 70 years for males and 74 years for females.

There is a pretty neat set of tables reflecting the oldest people ever/ alive, sorted by country on Wikipedia. Check it out here for more research.

How long would you like to live?

What are your conditions for living for as long as you want?

Are you in awe of those who live considerably longer than others in their societies?

Do you think centennials deserve medals/ honoring ceremonies?

What is YOUR secret to a long and healthy life?

Do you believe in smoking a lot like some of those centennials?

Stay golden,

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