With Mirth and Laughter

There are still 6 people alive today that were born in the 19th Century. What?


In fact, the two oldest living people were born in 1898 and it got me thinking: I've never been close to anyone over the age of about 80; where are these 116 year-olds hiding? The oldest living Brit is Ethel Lang, who was born on the 27th May 1900. She is the eighth oldest living person in the world and, according to Wikipedia, she is the only living British person to have been born under the reign of Queen Victoria. The oldest person ever lived to be nearly 122 and a half and there are over 100 people that have climbed above the astonishing age of 114.


That's a lot of statistics, reader, and I do apologise. The question I think it poses, though, is how would one measure a life? If one gentleman lived for 70 years, and did as much in those 70 as another did in 110, has the older gent achieved more, or has he just prolonged the inevitable?


This mightn't come as much of a shock to some people as they assume that the whole world has an ageing population; people used to live to 80, but now they live to see 90 candles on their cake, but that isn't the case the world over. The global average life expectancy is still just 67.07 so these supercentenarians (people who have lived over the age of 110) are actually living the length of nearly two lives. I really don't know if I could handle that kind of pressure. I mean, imagine having to do all that shit that you have to do in life for twice as long!


If I'm still alive in the year 2100 (though doubtful due to my unquenchable love of cake), should I start planning my old age now? As Teddy Roosevelt said: "Old age is like everything else; to make a success of it you have to start young." But, no. What a waste of a life it would be just to plan the ending. A film with a great ending often lacks a coherent and engaging beginning. I say good for Ethel Lang but bollocks to old age! (At least for now)...


May everybody have a happy Friday,
Mike.xx