Alive At Age 113

Walter Bruening is in the news today, his five minute of fame segment of life, I guess. You see, Walter is allegedly the world's oldest man. He celebrated his 113th birthday this week and in interviews that asked Walter how he managed to keep on going, Walter gave a few reasons why he is still with us as all oldies do when they are past a hundred.

It's obvious to me that the reasons each give, so different, have little to do with their survival. Some say they drink alcohol to excess or smoke cigarettes that sort of thing. Walter attributes his survival and good health (he looks and has the mind of a man 40 years younger and says he has weighed the same for the last 35 years) to more healthy attributes, including his low body weight and that he eats only two meals a day. Walter does not eat "healthy food". He simply eats less of all food. To, he takes one aspirin a day (and uses no other medications), still is actively engaged in hobbies, and drinks plenty of water throughout the day. According to Walter, diet (eating little) is what keeps him going. But who is to say he might not be alive if he was a big eater. Many oldies who pass 100 are heavy.

The thing that surprises me in reading about Walter and seeing his quotes is how lucid he is. His mind is unaffected by any of the "normal" aging deterioration. That is a common factor I have noticed in the old timers who wee interviewed about making it past 100. They all have good mental health. There must be a correlation between the physical survival and that.So all of these factors seems to me to indicate that genetics is what makes it possible for some to live longer than others. I doubt Walter's "health secrets' are any better or worse than yours or mine. He's probably just lucky to have good genes. I know if I only ate two meals a day I would die prematurely early from hunger and frustration.

And what good is it to be 113 if not in good enough health (Walter is) to enjoy life?I think I should get rid of my aspirin, have a big piece of pie and swear off water. I may not make it to 113, but if i do those things I'll at least have a desire to live that long.