RIP, World’s Oldest Man

Walter Breuning, who at 114 years old was the world’s oldest living man, died yesterday. He lived in Montana and sounds like a very sweet and honest man. He was a hard worker for most of his life, but he’d lived in a nursing home since 1980 (which is close to the time that some of us has been alive!). Apparently when he was recognized for being the world’s oldest man the nursing home offered him a more spacious room, but he turned them down! In recent years, he “spent his days in an armchair wearing a dark suit and tie, sitting near a framed Guinness certificate proclaiming him the world’s oldest man.” Bestill my heart. Why didn’t we have a webcam where we could watch the charming Mr. Bruening in action?

Not surprisingly, he had a lot of interesting memories from the century he lived through, and he also has some solid wisdom about how to live long and live well:

— Embrace change, even when the change slaps you in the face. (“Every change is good.”)

— Eat two meals a day (“That’s all you need.”)

— Work as long as you can (“That money’s going to come in handy.”)

— Help others (“The more you do for others, the better shape you’re in.”)

Two meals a day sounds tough, but maybe worth a try? Even if he was a little hungry at times, Breuning seems to have enjoyed his life, and he wasn’t very worried about dying either: “Never be afraid to die. Because you’re born to die.” Can’t argue with that. Godspeed, Walter!