The eldest elder

Time changes us we experience many things in our lifetime. People suffer and they persevere. Often we get complacent in what we do each day. Throughout history, there have been people who walked further down the road of life than most of us ever will. There are some who would enjoy such a journey while others simply would not.

The current official holder of the world’s greatest elder would be a French woman named Jeanne Calment. She died back in 1997, at the ripe old age of 122 years and 164 days. (she even smoked) This is still debated whether or not she was in fact the oldest person on the planet. A Mr. Ebba from Ethiopia, is said to be 160 years old. This has yet to be proven—however it is claimed that he is. This would be indeed quite remarkable.

Proclaimed as the eldest elder Doña Leandra Becerra Lumbreras was said to be 127 years old. She was a Mexican woman who is survived by 20 grandchildren, 73 great-grandchildren and 55 great-great-grandchildren. Despite the family’s claim, the Guinness Book of World Records did not recognize her due to a missing birth certificate. She lost it while she moved.

While any of these ages are extraordinary. They are even more remarkable going further back in time, when things were more difficult for people. All of our medicine and technology simply didn’t exist as it does today to help us overcome some struggles.

A countess named Katherine FitzGerald was claimed to be a bit over 120 years old. She was a noblewoman of the Anglo-Norman FitzGerald dynasty in Ireland. Another theory about her is that she lived until 140ish. Quite amazing again, especially in this time period.

An American lady named Gertrude Weaver from Arkansas lived to be 117, she said the secret to long life is kindness and said: “Treat people nice and be nice to other people”.

Some people think the way of lifestyle can certainly change our mortality. This is more than likely true. The place with the highest lifespan in the entire Earth per area is Monaco. People here live on average of almost 90 years. This area is off France’s Mediterranean coastal line and is known for its harbor, operas, restaurants, clubs, Grand Prix motor racing and glitzy casinos. Perhaps people are simply more happy here overall.

There are many places which are amazing to live, for some people they enjoy a more simplistic life and this is fine with them. However, many of us continue with the rat race each and every day hoping for such an existence.