What does it take to live more than a century? Five centenarians shared the lessons they’ve learned about love, health, and money after 100 years of life. They reflected on the challenges they faced, the transformations they witnessed, and the habits that kept them strong as the world changed around them. They offer advice for younger generations on how to live longer and stay positive through it all.
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00:01Look at the camera, hold this, and go.
00:04OK.
00:06Life lessons from a centenarian.
00:08Hair and makeup.
00:10You look good, Mom.
00:11How many times have you been challenged
00:13with a lady who's almost 101?
00:16I'm 102, we discovered to our surprise.
00:20How does it feel to be 102?
00:25I feel like a million dollars.
00:28I don't feel 107.
00:30I feel more in my 80s and 90s.
00:33I'm not sure what it is that helps me to keep going.
00:38A corny thing called positive thinking.
00:42I never gave up.
00:43If I had something that I wanted to do, I was persistent.
00:47I have no idea what made me live so long,
00:49except I've never drunk coffee.
00:51People say, what is your secret?
00:54Like it's some big secret.
00:56You've learned so much.
00:57You've known so much.
00:59And you want to share it.
01:01I feel like a movie star here.
01:03My childhood was during the Great Depression.
01:11Nothing came easy to me.
01:13I was a dancer employed by the United States government to dance for the soldiers.
01:21I mean, it was big.
01:23My original goal was to be an English teacher, and that wasn't quite my dish.
01:31I grew up in a church.
01:33I taught vacation Bible school when I was a teenager.
01:37In my day, you stayed home, you had your children, and you stood by your husband.
01:43And we've been in a revolution ever since.
01:47World War II made a tremendous difference in that women finally were recognized as having
01:55formal capabilities.
01:57I enlisted in the Navy on Pearl Harbor Day.
02:03The people of the United States will not stand idly by.
02:07Being of the Jewish faith, we knew what Hitler was doing to the Jewish people in Germany.
02:13I was worried he could conquer the United States as well.
02:17June 6th, 1944.
02:21Hitler was working, so we felt it.
02:25And I lost several relatives.
02:29And that was terrible.
02:31If it was up to me, I would have continued my career in the Navy.
02:37But my wife, Betty, and I didn't blame her, she said,
02:41no, I want you to leave a normal life.
02:45And that started my career as a dentist.
02:49I truly always enjoyed what I did.
02:53I was a certified director of patient accounts at a major hospital.
03:00I worked at a real estate loan and insurance office.
03:04Did you enjoy your job?
03:06Yes, because that's where I met my husband.
03:10He came in one day and wanted to know if I'd like to go play miniature golf with him.
03:15And what did you say?
03:16And I did.
03:23Do you have marriage advice?
03:26A marriage what?
03:28Advice.
03:29Oh, let me see.
03:31Because it's important.
03:33It's so important to feel love.
03:37Love is a strong feeling.
03:42I won't say it makes the world go round, but it's very helpful.
03:47Love has more meaning than the sexual portion of love.
03:50I met my husband and I knew that I would marry him.
03:55He just was verbal.
03:57And, of course, I'm verbal.
04:01So it was a good match.
04:03A like-mindedness is the foundation of a solid marriage.
04:09You agree and you're on the same page and you want to live your life together.
04:16And that is love.
04:18The most challenging thing about being 100 is that sometimes time hangs heavy on your hands.
04:30I don't have any of my good friends that are still alive.
04:39They're all gone.
04:43My wife passed away just 20 years ago this year.
04:49Much too early.
04:51She should be here with me sitting right here right now.
04:54I was passionate about my doubt.
04:56I wanted her to doubt with me.
04:59I miss my husband.
05:01I was married to him for 82 wonderful years.
05:05No, I'm sorry.
05:0785.
05:10And I lost two sons.
05:12I just lost one a few weeks ago.
05:15My oldest son.
05:17He was 82 when he died.
05:20I'm just shocked that I would still be here and they're gone.
05:29At my age, I think every step you take is challenging.
05:35I feel that I'm on borrowed time.
05:41My husband, Paul, was a remarkable, sensitive person.
05:48We were married 67 years when he passed away.
05:53And the truth is, I miss him every day.
05:57I had a special life because I had an incredible husband.
06:03It's very tough at this stage of the game to be alone, be vulnerable, and be dependent.
06:16I'm the last man standing.
06:19It is not easy at all.
06:24If I sat around and grieved all day long, that would be very difficult to take.
06:29I know that life goes on.
06:31And that's the only answer I can give you.
06:34Life goes on.
06:37So, get on and do the things that you love to do.
06:41What has changed the most in a hundred years?
06:48A great deal has changed.
06:50I would say the internet.
06:53Is it true that you're on YouTube?
06:55My whole generation.
06:58We don't know how to handle it.
07:01I see all these young people walking down the street holding phones.
07:06We're scared of it.
07:08Everybody's got one but me.
07:10And we don't like it.
07:12I don't use a phone here because I just don't.
07:16It's just like going in a dark room and trying to find something.
07:22Wow.
07:24Amazing how much garbage gets on your computer.
07:27It used to be that if you wanted to know the answer to something,
07:31you'd have to go to the library and do a great deal of research to find out about something.
07:37Today, with a snap of your fingers, the internet has that answer for you.
07:43Done.
07:46I'm at the computer a great deal.
07:51Oh, I think technology, if used properly, has definitely made a huge difference.
07:59The ability to reach out to one another, getting emails, sending emails.
08:06So, yes, technology has changed and improved and given us better chances in life.
08:15The important thing is for us to utilize these inventions properly and carefully, not to use them in a bad way.
08:28What has helped you live to a hundred?
08:41I've never smoked.
08:42I've never drank to excess.
08:44I love the outdoors.
08:45I suggest one hour a day of strenuous exercise.
08:53Guard your health.
08:54It's a precious gift.
08:56A lot of stretching.
08:58A lot of kicking.
08:59To walk, walk, walk.
09:02A real workout.
09:05That will keep you going.
09:07And that will keep you alive.
09:10We have a bike here.
09:13I go on and I try to stay on that bike for 15 to 20 minutes and to keep my legs in healthy form.
09:23I can feel it in my body.
09:26The muscles are not what they were.
09:28You can wait, Grandma.
09:29You can wait until they finish the day.
09:32Start at an early age and eat properly.
09:37Watch your diet.
09:39Don't get overweight.
09:41There was a period of time when I put weight on and I regret that very much.
09:47I don't eat meat to excess, but I do have chicken, which I like very much.
09:53I stay away from bacon and things like that as much as possible.
09:59A lot of protein.
10:01Steak every night if you can.
10:08My attitude is, don't let the old man in.
10:13I refuse to think old.
10:16If you think young, more than likely you're going to act young.
10:22There's always something on my plate that I look forward to doing.
10:26And I think that's important for people.
10:30To look forward to what you can do today.
10:34That makes a difference.
10:39I like games.
10:41It keeps my mind active.
10:45I play.
10:46And I do pretty well.
10:48Oh, for the triple word.
10:52Two more.
10:53You gotta keep seven.
10:54Three.
10:55Oh, audio.
10:56Oh, I have many, many friends who help me enjoy life from all different generations.
11:03The 60s, the 70s, the 80s, the 90s.
11:09And that's what makes life so interesting.
11:13Because you're feeling the responses of different generations to problems.
11:19Do you have any money advice for young generations?
11:26Yes.
11:27Buy land.
11:28Is that what you did?
11:30No.
11:31I'm terribly bad about money.
11:34I'm just ignorant and helpless.
11:37Make an investment.
11:39Even if you want to start small.
11:41Patience to achieve what in the long run is the best for you.
11:48The stock market goes up and down.
11:50But in the long run, the stock market always goes up.
11:54If you watch the pennies, then when you need the dollars for a down payment on that house,
12:02you've got them.
12:03Don't go to the bank and put it in a savings account that gives you 2% interest.
12:09Put it in a good solid stock.
12:12And a mutual fund is probably your best bet.
12:16So what's the secret for a long, happy life?
12:20Oh, I think just love of life.
12:24It's a devotion to my family, to the ones I love.
12:31What matters most to me today is the welfare of my family members.
12:38How are they doing?
12:40Yes.
12:41Busy.
12:42Busy lives.
12:43If I have a purpose, it's to help my family.
12:52If you don't complain, you don't make life difficult for whoever is around you,
12:58you'll get along in life.
13:00You want to be attached to the things that are positive and good in life.
13:05You have to ignore the negative.
13:10Just forget it.
13:11The thing that I've really learned, not to be so self-centered.
13:16You can't get anywhere in life until you start doing things for other people.
13:21Giving is a real joy.
13:24Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
13:34I think if you're nice to people, that it comes back to you.
13:40And I believe so many things that I pray for, I get answers.
13:51That's why I have longevity.
13:53Call elderly people.
13:58Come and see them.
14:00I think that that's such a wonderful thing for people to do.
14:06Not to forget people that are older.
14:09As far as I'm concerned, I let my feelings be heard in the form of a book.
14:23The kids had been after me for many years to write my memoir.
14:33And so that makes me feel good that the lessons in life are in that book.
14:38As I sit here with you today, I don't feel like my days are numbered.
14:47I feel that I have good years in front of me yet.
14:52Can I scratch my nose?
14:55Yes.
14:56I didn't know if I was on camera that.
14:59I can just barely hear you.
15:01Why don't you stand over there?
15:03You want me to speak now?
15:05Eyes on the camera.
15:07I can't wait until you get over there.
15:12Are you nice?
15:17How are you doing?
15:18How are you doing?
15:23What are you doing?
15:25How are you doing?
15:26How are you doing?
15:27What do you do?
15:28How are you doing?
15:30I will be doing everything.
15:33I will suck.