A Century

Today I interviewed a woman who is turning 100 years old tomorrow.

That was the best conversation I've had in awhile. If I'm that lucid and funny and charming when I'm 100 (or ever), I will be extremely blessed. Her memory was incredible. Probably better than mine — she recounted what meals she had this week. I'm not sure what I ate for supper last night. Or for breakfast. She's lost most of her eyesight — which she said was tragic, as her favorite past time was reading. Her hearing is still surprisingly sharp. I had to ask my questions loudly, but I wasn't shouting. She said she wished her hearing had gone instead of her eyes, though. She spends her time listening to the TV, but she'd much rather read the daily newspaper or an old novel. I'd have to agree with her.

Her stories were funny — she told me about all the happenings at the assisted living facility where she lives. With all the scandals and gossip, I felt like I was having coffee with my best friend in high school, trashing the other girls.

I teared up a little when she told me about her childhood. She spent time in the Owatonna State School — the former orphanage, the building where I was married. She was adopted from there, but separated from her four siblings. Before arriving at the State School, her father left her and her siblings at the Duluth orphanage. He wanted the kids to stay together, but after his wife died, he couldn't take care of five young children and continue to make money as a miner.

It was at the Duluth orphanage where Justine was sterilized, along with her sisters and all the girls there during those years. She didn't know what was happening at the time, but she recalled the scene in perfect detail to me. She found out a few years after she was married that she could never have children. She heard on the radio about the sterilization at the Duluth orphanage at the time she was there and connected the dots. She told me she would have liked to have a couple kids to take care of her now, and visit her, especially since her husband died when he was 79, and her siblings died young. She's been alone for 25 years with no family.

Long after I turned off my recorder, the questions for my article answered, the perfect quotes already said, we continued talking. Just talking. She asked about my job, my family, my college, my friends. She told story after story about her fascinating journey. I didn't want to leave. I ignored my oncoming deadline, the fact that I had the only company's camera, and I was expected back at the office half an hour ago. We just continued talking. Two friends.

I asked her about living 100 years during a time when nearly everything has changed. She's been through two world wars, the evolution of the automobile, the television, the computer, space shuttles, Facebook. She said it's mostly over her head. She hears about these things on the news, but can't even comprehend them. She doesn't understand computers. She's not really sure what the internet is. She watched Watson compete on Jeopardy last week, but she wasn't sure why or who he was.

I would need to live to 2088 to be 100 years old. I can't even imagine what the world will be like then, and honestly I'm not sure I want to be around for it. I can't imagine watching everyone close to me pass away, living in a world I can't understand.

But Justine's secret to long life: "I always have a good spirit. I'm always happy. I don't let anything bother me."

Justine, 100 Years Old on Feb. 23