USA: Reaching 100: Honoring Those Who Took Long, Winding Road

VALLEJO, California (Vallejo Times Herald), October 1, 2007: "I was always taught to respect my elders and I've now reached the age when I don't have anybody to respect." - Comedian George Burns, who lived to age 100. Centenarians are unlike the rest of us. They've seen more wars, lived through more illnesses, helped raise more generations of children, and had a lot more friends die. If that's not enough to earn some respect, they deserve it simply for beating the odds. Fewer than two in every 10,000 Americans live to 100 or older. The Solano County Board of Supervisors got it right last week by giving local centenarians some well-deserved respect. The board honored 25 Solano residents who've made it to 100, or older. It was a simple and quick reception, but most important, supervisors gave these men and women a proper thank you for their many contributions to society. "Retirement at 65 is ridiculous. When I was 65, I still had pimples." - George Burns Unlike Burns, most of those who worked, retired from their primary careers decades before reaching 100. But that doesn't mean their contributions stopped. Many went on to have second and third careers; many volunteered their time; many raised families, who raised their families, who raised their families. A county spokesman said older workers accounted for 27,325 people in Solano County in 2005 and 20 percent of them were 65 and older. The centenarians were selected by the Senior Coalition of Solano County which asked local communities to provide names of centenarians. The tribute was clearly extended to centenarians unable to attend - and in a sense, indirectly honored all older residents throughout the county. While the odds are still slim of making it to 100, the number of Americans that age or older doubles about every 10 years. It now stands at 80,000, according to the Census Bureau. The group makes up the fastest growing segment of the population. We've seen the change at the Times-Herald. A decade ago, if you made it 100, you were practically guaranteed there'd be a news story about you. But being a centenarian is too common for that now. "I'd go out with women my age, but there are no women my age." - George Burns Actually, most centenarians are women. They outnumber men four to one when it comes to making it past the 100 mark. Harvard researchers concluded that meno-pause lengthens the life span of women. The world's oldest man celebrated his 112th birthday this month, saying he hoped to live forever. Born Sept. 18, 1895, Tomoji Tanabe was named world's oldest male after the death of Emiliano Mercado Del Toro of Puerto Rico. He died in January at age 115. What's the secret to long life? "If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn't ask me, I'd still have to say it." - George Burns Copyright © 2006 product of The Times-Herald