Q and A with a 100 Year Old Man

originally posted by: geezlouise
Hi there,

I'm 33 yrs old and an artist. I don't know why you might need to know that but, I am really enjoying this thread and wanted to tell you. I love you.

So I have some questions.

Do you believe in God? If so, which one(s)... and do you have any cool paranormal/supernatural stories to share? I'd like those.

And do you believe in Aliens? Have you ever seen a UFO? Please share, lol.

What are your thoughts on the advancement of technology?

And... I thank you again for taking the time to share with us. It's been amazing so far. I may have more questions later.

Thank you! I'm told at the HS that I have '130 great grandchildren'

I believe in God, but a relatively nondescript one. We were relatively inactive Methodists. If I want to talk to him/Him, no need for an intermediary. No paranormal stories (my companion has some, but that's another post) but I often in life had that feeling that something or someone was watching over me. I've managed many times to *not* be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I believe in reincarnation, but only because it makes sense and because of the Egyptian readings I've done. Sometimes I think the people who built the pyramids must have been from 'not around here'. Their culture was so different from anything else on Earth.

Alien topic - answered in the other post. I think the thing over LA back then was a UFO but who or what, who knows. One of the lasting mysteries of my life.

Battle of LA

Technology: Oh dear. I call computers 'magic boxes' and I'm only just learning what they do. I only sent my first email a few months ago. Being a speed typist helps, still. All my years as a printer, you know.

The rest of technology, I can only wonder at. I understand mechanical things easily. Electronics, not so much. I don't like modern cars, they go too fast to be safe and are too complicated. Too much to break down! Gimme a Model A Ford any day!

Thank you for your kind comments!

originally posted by: DarkvsLight29

originally posted by: SentientCentenarian

originally posted by: DarkvsLight29
Wow fantastic story thanks for sharing it, I'm from Scotland born and bred were almost like family in a way :-)

How does it feel to be 100 years old?[/quote

I actually feel pretty good - only my knees hurt some and that's when I overdo. No heart disease at all, never had cancer; I never smoked or drank, except for one beer I didn't like. My brother taught me what not to do!

Otherwise, everything has changed so much! I am learning to navigate this 'magic box' with the help of my companion; I have a magnifier hooked up to the computer and like reading posts here, especially about UFO and Egyptian things, and planes.

I teach a junior year HS history class at the local school - it's amazing interacting with people that young.

I guess the only thing I don't like is that I don't know why I'm still here, and I need to nap a lot. I used to be able to work a 10 hour shift without a problem. Now one or two hours a day is all I can handle.

That doesn't sound so bad, i had to ask cause hopefully i'll reach that age,, although that's 70 years from now lol,, and in that time my world will change as it did for you.

How have you adjusted to all the new city buildings and technology that has changed over the last 100 years?

Just noticed that another poster asked the same question about the advancement of technology over your time,, would be brilliant to know your thoughts on it.

I think the biggest change is not the buildings but the traffic! I live near San Diego and they can have grid lock in seven lanes of traffic if there's an accident! And my neighborhood 20 years ago (okay, more like 30) was cow fields. Now it's plazas and ridiculously expensive houses. I don't know how anyone affords housing any more, or a family.

I think I'm unable to answer much about technology because I know so little about it. I *do*wonder why you all are always staring at your hands, though. What do you find to talk about that you need a phone with you all the time?

And just think how much easier it would be to crank your phone and ask for the operator, instead of keeping them charged

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: SentientCentenarian

I'm not as old as you nor do I think I'll ever be as old as you are (life choices).

But I am older than many. Just a boomer with a twisted sense of humor.

My question is this; did you get smarter as you aged?

I don't think I've gotten smarter, and I've forgotten a lot, I'm sure. I honestly don't understand why I still have most of my wits about me; I live in a +55 park where most are over 80 and many of them are failing visibly. Hard to find people to talk to, except for one man who is 90 and is still going strong. The women are generally in better shape but not much fun to talk to in any depth.

(Typist's note: SC has a WICKED sense of humor and can be quite bawdy at times I think it's his good nature that keeps him going. He could easily pass for 75, looks-wise and always makes a sensation whenever we go to the store; he's very well known in the community).

a reply to: SentientCentenarian

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and memories. I'd like to ask, Who do you think was the best President, and who was the worst in your opinion.
Also, what do you think has been the best invention in the last 100 years?

Were there rumours that the bombs would be dropped on Japan or was it a total shock when you arrived there?
Do you have any war photos that you can share?
Thanks for taking the time to do this Q and A. Very interesting.

originally posted by: Quantum12
a reply to: SentientCentenarian

That is amazing you still have a original Ford Model A!

I have pictures of it if I can figure out how to get them over here...

Oh, here you go! I need to do these several times to remember all the steps:

a reply to: SentientCentenarian

You are giving me insanely strong "dejavu" so we must have met before somewhere on ATS..

Have you ever been accused of faking your age?

I feel like you left ATS or left a topic at least because you sound too clear headed to be 101, and you had mentioned the eyesight issue and someone said if you're this old and can't see how are you on ATS?

I think you must be that person. I think it was a topic about the pyramids.

Does it ring a bell?

Do you listen to music from your teenage and 20s? Like for me I am still stuck on 90s music. It's what I grew up with.
So is your favorite music from the 30s? Or beetles? Or KAty Perry? LOL

Thanks for making this thread..
I saw your picture in the other thread and read your words, and my brain just stopped working.. I read your post 3 times trying to turn my brain back on, but it was just stuck on "this does not compute"

then I read your name and was like oh yea that name makes sense..

You must have seen a lot change over the years.
Do you have hope for the future of humanity?

a reply to: SentientCentenarian

Thank you, your car is amazing and it looks like a ghost is driving. LOL it might be Henry Ford...

a reply to: SentientCentenarian

Thanks for your reply.

My only other comment is that I can't find anyone under 60 who knows how to play Bridge!

a reply to: Quantum12

You're right Quantum! It does look like a ghostly image in the driver's seat. Nice pic!

a reply to: SentientCentenarian

What is left on your bucket list?

originally posted by: EchoesInTime
a reply to: SentientCentenarian

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and memories. I'd like to ask, Who do you think was the best President, and who was the worst in your opinion.
Also, what do you think has been the best invention in the last 100 years?

Were there rumours that the bombs would be dropped on Japan or was it a total shock when you arrived there?
Do you have any war photos that you can share?
Thanks for taking the time to do this Q and A. Very interesting.

Best - Roosevelt! When he died, we thought we were really screwed with Truman. He'd gotten us through the Depression and most of WWII. Kennedy would have been great, but he didn't have time. He handled the Cuban Missile Crisis masterfully though. That was a close one, closer than most people realize. I had a friend who was one of the satellite analysts to Kennedy during that time and one of the ones who briefed him on what the photos showed. He moved his family up to Alaska during that time and never dared return them to the continental US afterwards, he was so spooked. Good thing Kruschev backed down.

Worst? Whoever we get next. I won't be voting for either of them. Otherwise... hmmm.. Dubya, I guess. He got us in wars that are still a mess. All hat, no cattle.

Bombs: We weren't told anything on the way over to Japan. No one knew anything about the bombs and we really didn't understand what had happened even after we were told. It wasn't until LIFE magazine photos started coming out that we understood. I had the opportunity to go see Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but didn't want to see it. We only found out much later that our draft (thousands of men) were scheduled to just obliterate Japan if the bombs didn't work. There wouldn't have been anything left. Even so, it sure took the Emperor long enough to surrender; it was only after he was told that the 'third bomb was going to be coming down his chimney' that he decided 'my people have suffered enough...' I wasn't drafted until late in the war because I was married with children and was working making B-17s, I was 30 then so I was a lot older than most of the men. Most of them were still wet behind the ears 17 and 18 year olds. We would have all been dead if those bombs hadn't worked.

Best invention? Hmmm... I'll have to think about that. Computers will undoubtedly have the most impact but that is still to be seen for the most part, right? So everything electronic from radios on.

I think film, if that counts for the last 100 years. Okay, video I'll be a lot easier to learn from history, now that we can see it... oh, and wrenches. Wrenches are great for all sorts of things!

Photos: I have some, I'll have to work on posting them. They are mostly of the area around Tokyo in 1945-46, temples and downtown, what's left of it. A few blurry pictures of me and my Japanese friends, and a few of US soldiers playing ballgames. I almost accidentally got a photo of Generals MacArthur and Eisenhower exiting HQ; didn't realize I had it until years later when I put it up on the magnifier. Also battleships in the harbor.

originally posted by: Reverbs
a reply to: SentientCentenarian

You are giving me insanely strong "dejavu" so we must have met before somewhere on ATS..

Have you ever been accused of faking your age?

I feel like you left ATS or left a topic at least because you sound too clear headed to be 101, and you had mentioned the eyesight issue and someone said if you're this old and can't see how are you on ATS?

I think you must be that person. I think it was a topic about the pyramids.

Does it ring a bell?

Do you listen to music from your teenage and 20s? Like for me I am still stuck on 90s music. It's what I grew up with.
So is your favorite music from the 30s? Or beetles? Or KAty Perry? LOL

Thanks for making this thread..
I saw your picture in the other thread and read your words, and my brain just stopped working.. I read your post 3 times trying to turn my brain back on, but it was just stuck on "this does not compute"

then I read your name and was like oh yea that name makes sense..

You must have seen a lot change over the years.
Do you have hope for the future of humanity?

Some of your confusion may be that there are two different people posting under this Avatar, as the OP explains. The younger one is a bit of a political animal (and anarchist of sorts). Good thing we agree on politics.

Nope, never been accused of faking my age. I can prove it with IDs if I have to; it's fun to go to the pharmacy and they ask 'what's your date of birth' and you tell them 00-00-1915 and then watch as the very young clerk does the math... then the jaw drops! I just grin back!

My companion turned me on to ATS because they thought I'd be interested in some of the topics here; I can't read well anymore and tv is boring; this is fascinating what with all the researchers and different opinions. It's a window into the world I don't otherwise have. I may have posted something about pyramids, or maybe you're thinking of the avatar and intro post?

Oh, I remember now! Two years ago (?) I was interviewed by one of your members for an ATS radio show. That person is now my caretaker.

Music: Who's Katy Perry? I like real old classic country music. Otherwise never been interested in music much. Even my kids predate the Beatles. Everyone in my family when I was young played music - I played the accordion and harmonica. Never did get me any girls with that, though...

I saw your picture in the other thread and read your words, and my brain just stopped working.. I read your post 3 times trying to turn my brain back on, but it was just stuck on "this does not compute" then I read your name and was like oh yea that name makes sense..

LOL! I was wondering when people would notice...

Hope for future of humanity? Hmm. Not with the two Presidential candidates running now. They're awful. I wanted Bernie. But then I talk to young people and realize there's a lot of idealism out there. Keep the internet free, that'll help a lot. If they shut it down, it'll be like burning the library at Alexandria.

Typist's note: SC has absolutely an intact memory, back to 1918 or so. He's invariably good natured and a joy to live with. We giggle a lot. His issues are macular degeneration (can't see the middle of the visual field) and failing hearing that is fine with hearing aids. My biggest problem is keeping him intellectually stimulated, so thank you to ATS for helping me there.

Okay, on to the next one... phew!

a reply to: SentientCentenarian

My, what a handsome young man you were, back in the day!!

I really appreciate this thread. The information about the foo fighters and the 'Battle of LA' was very interesting! Stories like that are often relegated to the mists of memory and become more mythic than real. To hear from an actual witness regarding the impossible nature of whatever it was (UFO) is very grounding, and turns what could be skeptically seen as "a tall tale" or an "exaggerated account" into a fact-based historical event.

Being in Japan at the end of the war - that was also fascinating. My grandfather (biological, I was adopted) was a tail-gunner in WWII, and got shot down over Italy while on a bombing run. He was a tall, strapping, handsome young man. Interestingly, I had an image of him in my head, his personality and what he looked like. I got to see a picture of him this year, and it was eerily what I'd seen in my head. So anyway, being in a plane wasn't necessarily a great assignment! Two men escaped the plane and parachuted to the earth. They were taken by the Germans and put in POW camps. A relative of one of the survivors wrote a book about it, which meant so much to me. I can't imagine the guts it took and the terrible fear of hauling up in one of those vulnerable crafts with anti-aircraft fire coming at you!

Do you remember anything about the Japanese Internment Camps in the US? Did it seem like "the right thing to do" at the time, or did it seem like fear-based over-reach? How did they sell it to the American people? If you do remember that, is there any resonance for you with today's rhetoric on immigration and Muslims? I'm just curious...

Anyway, that's enough questions for now...oooh! Except for one more...

If you could share one particular piece of wisdom about life to share, what would it be? (Okay, I'll let you cheat and give your top three if you can't think of just one...)



- AB

originally posted by: Quantum12
a reply to: SentientCentenarian

Thank you, your car is amazing and it looks like a ghost is driving. LOL it might be Henry Ford...

That was a friend of mine in the car. We photoshopped out his picture.

The car's for sale if anyone is interested. I'm planning on setting up a scholarship fund for the high school here with the money. First ~30k or so takes it! It was rebuilt from the frame up by museum quality people. It only has 500 miles on the new engine and around 56K on the car total. Bought it for $535 when I was 15 years old including the Iowa license, on time. Never missed a payment.

originally posted by: queenofswords
a reply to: SentientCentenarian

What is left on your bucket list?

I went glider flying for my 100th birthday. Looking at trying to get into either an ultralight or a bi-wing (again, been in plenty back in the day) for my 101th.

Otherwise, I just like learning new stuff.

a reply to: SentientCentenarian

well now I'm at a loss because it's clearly you I am referring to but your join date is too late to be the same person.
There is absolutely no way I will be able to find this but it's going to mess with me now..
I defended you to other people back then, probably under another name I used to go by on ATS.. (I had permission to get my new one)

I know you are the same guy...

It will be funny when it turns out this is your first account on ATS and I am from a different timeline where you came here before....

otherwise I will find that topic I'm talking about if it takes going through my entire post history for the last 5 years.

You say 2 years ago an ATS member interviewd you for a radio show.. But you have only been a member here for about a month and a half..

I remember you from before that.

I am not wrong.

Please explain.

This will drive me insane if you are telling the truth right now..

I'm dead serious.

a reply to: AboveBoard

Thank you!

I agree it's important to hear about history from those who were there; it makes it real in a way nothing else does. All our ancestors were living breathing people just like us, and just as smart.

I was very proud of making B-17s; those were workhorses (Flying Fortress!) and would keep flying even if they were shot full of holes. I kissed every one of them for good luck on it's way out the factory hangar doors!

I knew some people from Los Angeles that were sent to the Japanese internment camps; it was very sad but maybe for their own good; the animosity towards the Japanese at that time would have endangered them, much like the problem Muslims have now in the country for what only a few are doing. I've thought the same thing about that that you obviously are. Every generation has a new scapegoat. We had friends who took a 'note' from the Japanese neighbors to take over care of their farms; when they returned, the land was given back to them along with the money that the farms made in the meantime. It helped them get started again.

Words of wisdom - 'wars are stupid'

and 'be nice to each other. Life's tough enough.'

Typist's note: SC has been giving money and supplies to the local HS for pregnant girls for decades now. That's why he wants to set up a scholarship fund, to help send them to nursing school so they can take care of their babies and themselves, and get married. He says 'hanky-panky' is way too easy now. That kind of thing was rare when he was in high school and 'if you even thought such a thing, you'd be taken out back behind the woodshed'. I told him they don't have woodsheds anymore and maybe that's the problem.