The oldest person in the world died today, in Los Angeles, Calif. Her name was Gertrude Baines and she was 115 years old. Wow. Baines attributed her longevity to not drinking or smoking, but did admit she enjoyed a diet of fried chicken, bacon and ice cream. It's interesting to think about everything someone could experience in 115 years.
She lived through World Wars I and II; the Korean and Vietnam wars; and the Great Depression. She saw the World Trade Centers built and she lived to see them crumble. Heck, Penn State University is only 39 years older than Baines was when she died.
According to Live Science, only about 1-in-1,000 people who make it to age 100 live to be 110. And only 1-in-100,000 of those people live on to be 115. Interestingly enough, the United States is home to the highest number of "centenarians" in the world, with around 72,000 people.
Although Gertrude Baines is no longer with us, I'd love the chance to ask her if she did everything she wanted to in her life. We're always told "carpe diem" and "live your life to the fullest," because today might be our last day on this earth. But darn, Baines had around 42,200 days to live her life, I wonder if she needed or even wanted to live that long. I mean, there's only so much you can do.
Would you want to live to be 100 years old? What about 115? What are some of the things you would have liked to accomplish or have done by that time? Think about these questions and maybe even about your "bucket list" and share it with us, we'd love to hear your thoughts. Seriously. Under this post click on the comments link and let us know!
-- Erin Shields
