The oldest person I have ever met
is my own grandmother. She turn 99 years old just a few weeks ago. Its amazing
to think that she’s almost to 100 years old, quite a milestone in anyone’s
life, assuming they even get there. I can remember when we were celebrating her
80s birthdays and even then it was pretty impressive.
For a woman of 99 my grandmother is
pretty sharp. The years have taken a toll on her body just as they would on
anyone else, she can still walk, feed herself, and perform most basic functions,
just at a much slower pace. She has lived on her own up until about five years
ago. Her mind though doesn’t seem to have aged nearly as much. She and my
father will spend hours recalling people, places, and events from their past,
and she usually remembers anything my father will bring up. Of course, she has
her good days and her bad days, but even on those bad days she never fails to
impress me with her memory.
I can’t even begin to imagine all
the things she has seen. The changes and innovations she has witnessed must
have been incredible. If you do the math, she was born in 1913; this means she
witnessed World War I, the roaring 20s, the great depression, World War II,
John F. Kennedy, The Vietnam war, the space race, the fall of the Soviet Union,
television, the evolution of transportation, computers and those are just some
of the things that come to mind. It must have been amazing to see the future
actually come about, especially in an era where change was so rapid. Not many
people have had this kind of opportunity. This is why I try and take advantage
of this and listen to the stories she has to tell. Most of them are filled with
humor, which she still has a great appreciation for.
I just hope that I will get a
fraction of that experience that she has been given. I have already seen many
amazing things in my short life and there is no telling what the future may
hold. In the mean time I will continue to cherish the gift that is my
grandmother and I hope she will live many more years and who knows, maybe even
set a record.
Ryan,
ReplyDeleteFantastic post - I have a great-grandmother myself that is almost at the centennial mark. It's simultaneously inspiring and terrifying; will we even live that long, though now we suffer the curse of youth's perceived invincibility? Will we lose our memories that we now hold sacred? How much will we change between our old age and now? I liked the questions this post brought up. Very nice.
- Luke
The depth of her life experiences and all of the different life experiences she has witnessed must be awe-inspiring. I find it intriguing to think about what the world will look like when we become a part of the elderly population. Will there be teleportation, 70 year old men listening to Lil' Wayne, or world peace? It seems like a reminder of how life is a continuum that runs independent of our aspirations and struggles.
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