🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Avoid tobacco and alcohol, stay active, maintain an open mind
On February 5, in Oklahoma, USA, people celebrated the 114th birthday of a man named Ben, born in 1889, currently the world’s longest-living man (the world’s oldest woman is a British woman aged 117). Russian journalist Olga Tarasova interviewed this centenarian.
The man smiled broadly with his toothless mouth, warmly welcoming me in. He said many reporters had visited him, and TV crews had filmed him, but this was his first meeting with a Russian journalist. Holding his broad, warm hand, I felt immense strength—hardly believing he was over 100.
Ben’s 87-year-old daughter, Olena (who looked about 60), bought a globe specially for the Russian journalist’s visit. She located Russia on the globe and asked her father: "Dad, how far is Russia from us?" The elder enthusiastically studied the globe, measuring the straight-line distance between the U.S. and Russia.
Before my visit, he had lost his hearing aid again, making it difficult to hear others. Olena helped by repeating my questions aloud. Though his hearing was impaired, his mind remained sharp—speaking clearly and logically.
His favorite dish is braised beef; his preferred drinks are milk and grape juice; his favorite activity is driving a tractor across his farm; his greatest hobby is hunting—he most often hunted deer. At age 109, he still went hunting, earning him the title of the world’s oldest hunter.
Politically, he is a democrat. His most admired president is Clinton—perhaps because Clinton personally wished him a birthday greeting at age 110. Letters from the president and governor are pasted on the walls of his room, visible to all visitors. The most unforgettable moment in his life was seeing a car for the first time; the saddest was outliving his children. He married three times, had five children, nine grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and nine great-great-grandchildren. His three surviving children are all in their 80s.
As we talked, I noticed he seemed tired, so I quickly asked the final question: What is your secret to longevity? After a pause, he said: "I never drink alcohol, almost never smoke, and always do heavy labor." His daughter added: "My father drank only a few sips of homemade low-alcohol wine, and only when friends urged him. He was extremely diligent—managing a large farm until age 90. His farm grew wheat, corn, cotton, and raised cattle and horses. He had plenty of responsibilities. He breathed fresh air from nature all year round and ate only natural foods. That’s likely why he stayed healthy. There may be other reasons too. For example, he has an open mind, is kind to others, has a sense of humor, and doesn’t envy others’ wealth. Of course, he wasn’t poor—he owned two properties and a farm, and received a monthly $1,200 government pension for seniors.