106-year-old Gordon Ewers has lived a long healthy life and is still going strong. When asked what is his reason for such a long life, the old man claimed that it is not so much what he has done in life. What has made a difference in his life are the things he has not done in life. That is the key to his long life.
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Avoid these two things
According to Ewers, while it is crucial to live sensibly, breathe regularly, think optimistically, and live hopefully, other things are equally essential. Ewers, from Perth, Western Australia, attributes his long life to two big omissions from his lifestyle choices. The great-grandfather said:
I’ve never smoked and never drunk alcohol in my life. The absence of which is probably one of the helps towards achieving old age.
The retired customs officer continues to live alone, claiming that while his body is failing. However, the bloke inside him is well. He said:
I can’t say it’s much of an achievement. It just happened to me, which I’m very happy for it to have done.
As such, it seems the way to a long and healthy life is avoiding alcohol and smoking.
Witnessed history
Ewers has spent 10 decades on this planet and was born in 1916. The old man has witnessed World Wars I and II, the Great Depression, and now the Covid-19 pandemic. He claims that growing up during the Great Depression, which occurred between 1929 and 1933, when Ewers was 13 to 17, had a significant impact on him. He confirmed:
The big depression from 1933 on, that has influenced a lot of my behaviour ever since. I’m still very careful with money and watch what I spend.
While Ewers' age is remarkable, he will need to survive for at least another decade to claim the title of the world's oldest person. Kane Tanaka currently holds this position. The oldest verified surviving individual is a Japanese supercentenarian who was born in 1903 at the age of 119.
