By Peggy Purser Freeman
The first time I met Monte, he was complaining about everybody celebrating his 99th birthday. It was hurting his chances for a date.
The first time I met Monte, he was complaining about everybody celebrating his 99th birthday. It was hurting his chances for a date.
"No woman wants to go out with a 100-year-old man," he said with that infectious laugh. I often heard his laughter over the next few years in the church lobby where he ushered three services each Sunday morning. Celebrating his birthday didn't do too much damage to Monte's social life because I saw him out with two different ladies that next week. I learned that Monte loved people and enjoyed getting to know them.
I decided to interview Monte for the magazine where I am editor. Some of my interest in Monte stemmed from a nagging thought that I might be getting old. I had recently found myself in a room thinking, "What did I come in here for?" And my day involved looking for... glasses, keys, book, letter, address... well, you know. The interview with Monte was the first of three, the beginning of a friendship I will always value and a change in how I handle aging.
Monte was a chemist and advanced the efforts in World War II by keeping his Fort Worth plant open and running at high production during those years. He delivered meals on wheels up until he turned 100. One day as Monte drove away from church he had a small accident, dropping his car into a ditch. The policeman revoked Monte's driver's license, explaining that at his age he needed to retest. Not being able to drive can be a blow of discouragement for most of us. Driving seems to be a symbol of independence, especially for Monte who loved to go and do. However he didn't sit inside and feel sorry for himself. He didn't argue and drive anyway — breaking the law. He asked someone to drive him to take the test. His neighbor volunteered, thinking it to be a waste of time. Monte passed the written test with a score of 100 and the driving test with flying colors. He received his new driver's license and continued helping the "old" people.
I asked him for his secret to long life. He recommended lots of water, no over-eating, and learning new things.
"The main thing," Monte said, "is I don't stop. If I wake up with a pain, I just put one foot in front of the other and I get going. I keep on doing."
Most of that doing was volunteering in the community, in the church, in the neighborhood. Monte was interested in others and stayed busy.
On my last visit to his house, he was raking the yard and answered my question regarding his health.
"Well, I'm feeling quite well," he said. "Except this one knee is giving me a little pain. I'm not sure what's wrong with it."
"Monte," I said. "It could be that the knee is 100 years old."
"Well, yes," he laughed. "And it's about to be 101.
This is when I evaluated Monte's zest for life and willingness to serve others. As an author and editor, I find myself sitting far too much. After Monte passed away, another friend came my way, one I could serve the way Monte had served others. My knees have been hurting a great deal lately but "I just put one foot in front of the other and I get going. I keep on doing..." and I keep on learning. If I hear of a new technology, I try to learn as much as possible about how to use it.
Helping others... old people with knees that hurt... keeps me young. I try to swim every day possible. I have learned to play an instrument, and with a group of friends, visit nursing homes every week. Helping others has helped me.
I believe in finding a quality that I admire in the people I love and applying that quality to my own life. Then part of that person lives on through me. I believe Monte's motto — keep going and keep learning — has kept me from sitting myself into bad health and slow thinking.
Now if I can only find my keys, I'll be on my way to go help others.
I decided to interview Monte for the magazine where I am editor. Some of my interest in Monte stemmed from a nagging thought that I might be getting old. I had recently found myself in a room thinking, "What did I come in here for?" And my day involved looking for... glasses, keys, book, letter, address... well, you know. The interview with Monte was the first of three, the beginning of a friendship I will always value and a change in how I handle aging.
Monte was a chemist and advanced the efforts in World War II by keeping his Fort Worth plant open and running at high production during those years. He delivered meals on wheels up until he turned 100. One day as Monte drove away from church he had a small accident, dropping his car into a ditch. The policeman revoked Monte's driver's license, explaining that at his age he needed to retest. Not being able to drive can be a blow of discouragement for most of us. Driving seems to be a symbol of independence, especially for Monte who loved to go and do. However he didn't sit inside and feel sorry for himself. He didn't argue and drive anyway — breaking the law. He asked someone to drive him to take the test. His neighbor volunteered, thinking it to be a waste of time. Monte passed the written test with a score of 100 and the driving test with flying colors. He received his new driver's license and continued helping the "old" people.
I asked him for his secret to long life. He recommended lots of water, no over-eating, and learning new things.
"The main thing," Monte said, "is I don't stop. If I wake up with a pain, I just put one foot in front of the other and I get going. I keep on doing."
Most of that doing was volunteering in the community, in the church, in the neighborhood. Monte was interested in others and stayed busy.
On my last visit to his house, he was raking the yard and answered my question regarding his health.
"Well, I'm feeling quite well," he said. "Except this one knee is giving me a little pain. I'm not sure what's wrong with it."
"Monte," I said. "It could be that the knee is 100 years old."
"Well, yes," he laughed. "And it's about to be 101.
This is when I evaluated Monte's zest for life and willingness to serve others. As an author and editor, I find myself sitting far too much. After Monte passed away, another friend came my way, one I could serve the way Monte had served others. My knees have been hurting a great deal lately but "I just put one foot in front of the other and I get going. I keep on doing..." and I keep on learning. If I hear of a new technology, I try to learn as much as possible about how to use it.
Helping others... old people with knees that hurt... keeps me young. I try to swim every day possible. I have learned to play an instrument, and with a group of friends, visit nursing homes every week. Helping others has helped me.
I believe in finding a quality that I admire in the people I love and applying that quality to my own life. Then part of that person lives on through me. I believe Monte's motto — keep going and keep learning — has kept me from sitting myself into bad health and slow thinking.
Now if I can only find my keys, I'll be on my way to go help others.
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