Letter from the editorWisdom from the world's oldest

It was recently announced that a Great Falls man, Walter Breuning, is now the world's oldest at 112.

When I heard that over the radio the other morning, I couldn't help but smile as I recalled an interview I had with Walter three years ago while I was working at the Great Falls Tribune.

True to the flood of stories hitting the news this week about Walter, he was greeting neighbors and residents at the entrance to the Rainbow Retirement Home in Great Falls, dressed crisply in a suit and tie.

Mentally, Walter was sharp as a tack, proving his memory for details with trivia most of us would have to scour the history books for. His hearing was fading, but amazingly, the man was very spry and walked around with ease.

Inevitably, any reporter has to ask what the secret to such an elderly person's longevity is, and Walter considered his response for a moment before poking me in the stomach — hard — and admonishing me to 'stay thin" and not take lots of medication for anything.

A diminutive man of no more than 5'6" and maybe 120 lbs., the tactic certainly seemed to be paying off.

Though assisted living homes typically aren't places to go for an uplift, it's impossible not to walk away from a chat with someone who has seen so much and not feel privileged. Walter was born before man ever took flight and was downright elderly when we landed on the moon 40 years ago. Born in a time when horses and buggies ruled the road, he lives in the Google age.

The sheer span of experiences is staggering, seemingly more than any one mind could hold and comprehend.

More than anything else, though, I marveled at Walter's outlook on the world. He wasn't bitter or jaded, despite the fact that one of the consequences of such incredible longevity is that you outlive some friends and family twice over. He spoke politely and was well-loved in his community not for his novelty, but for his substance.

Being thin and laying off the meds might help someone crack the century mark, but it would certainly seem that there's a connection between being one of the happiest men in the world, and the oldest.

—Alex Strickland