ADRIAN MA, HOST:

Over the previous couple of many years, the variety of individuals residing previous 100 years previous has doubled within the U.S., and researchers predict that price will proceed to climb. However what does it truly really feel wish to reside to that age? A member station, Cap Radio, has a brand new podcast referred to as This Is What It Feels Like. And for one episode, host Terra Lopez spoke with Glenna Lucille Walters. The resident of Rio Linda, Calif., was 106 years previous on the time.

TERRA LOPEZ, BYLINE: Over time, I had heard small tales about Glenna, how she performs her piano almost on daily basis and the way she likes to observe “The Bachelor” each Monday night time.

LOPEZ: What do you consider “The Bachelor” and “Bachelorette”?

GLENNA LUCILLE WALTERS: What do I give it some thought? I feel they’re fairly foolish (laughter). You recognize, they – all they do is kiss, simply kiss, kiss, kiss from one to the opposite. It is a marvel if they do not catch one thing (laughter). I used to be the bachelorette then.

(LAUGHTER)

LOPEZ: I used to be intrigued, not solely as a result of she’s 106, however as a result of I wished to understand how somebody stays impressed at that age. As a result of after we speak about getting older, we normally body the dialog round loss, the issues we lose as we age, our cognitive talents, our mobility, our consciousness, our family members. I’ve all the time thought getting older sounded so lonely. However sitting with Glenna in her front room, I noticed firsthand a future that I wished to be part of.

I met Glenna in her residence in rural Rio Linda, Calif., the place she’s lived for over 40 years. Her maroon-colored recliner is within the heart of the lounge subsequent to a stack of books and an Alexa. There is a wall of household images within the hallway, lined up subsequent to a few framed letters from Barack and Michelle Obama congratulating her on her a hundredth birthday. Her granddaughters, Sara and Cassie McFarland, are with us serving to facilitate the dialog as a result of Glenna is tough of listening to nowadays.

CASSIE MCFARLAND: Grandma, did you ever think about you’ll be this previous?

WALTERS: I by no means thought of it. Do you consider it? Do you assume…

MCFARLAND: I do due to you.

WALTERS: I imply, do you assume you are going to be that previous?

MCFARLAND: I feel I could possibly be, however I do not stroll such as you all the time did.

WALTERS: (Laughter).

LOPEZ: You in all probability get this, like, requested on a regular basis. However do you could have any secrets and techniques?

WALTERS: You imply apple cider vinegar? (Laughter).

LOPEZ: Is that your secret?

WALTERS: That is what I inform individuals as a result of they’re all the time asking me that. I stated, nicely, I simply drink a variety of apple cider vinegar (laughter).

LOPEZ: The perfect day of Glenna’s life was the day she was born.

WALTERS: February the 1, 1916.

LOPEZ: After I hear Glenna say the yr she was born, 1916, I do not even know learn how to course of that. And I am much more baffled when she tells me that she’s as previous as her native public library.

WALTERS: That library was put there the day I used to be born. I am not kidding.

LOPEZ: Glenna was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, along with her mom, father, and two sisters, Kerri and Ruby. Music has all the time been Glenna’s past love and was a bonding pressure for her and her sisters. She tells me that she and her sisters performed a number of devices rising up and would carry out in her city at native institutions. After she completed school, Glenna determined to observe her sister to Colorado. It was there she met her future husband, saxophone participant Howard Duke Walters.

WALTERS: They launched us, and we wrote within the rumble seat of the man’s automotive.

LOPEZ: What’s a rumble seat?

WALTERS: (Laughter) Effectively, it is simply an open automotive, nevertheless it’s received a seat within the again. And that is how I met him, my husband, Howard.

LOPEZ: Glenna and Howard would find yourself having 4 kids – Dan (ph), Glen, Susie and Wendy. Throughout this time, Howard performed saxophone with a well-liked huge band, the Sonny Dunham Orchestra.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

WALTERS: In New York, we met Sinatra. He was on this system with Howard. I’ve received some Sinatra’s – what do you name…

LOPEZ: Autograph?

WALTERS: Yeah.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

LOPEZ: Taking part in in a big orchestra meant dividing up the cash. Glenna tells me that that is what led her and Howard to kind their very own household band.

WALTERS: Baronettes.

LOPEZ: Glenna performed piano and sang. Howard performed the saxophone, and their son Glenn performed the drums. Quickly the Baronettes received their first gig in Michigan.

WALTERS: Oh, that was a dandy (laughter).

LOPEZ: OK. So image this. Glenna was touring the nation in a van, hauling a trailer round with a full-sized piano, all of the whereas caring for a new child child, within the ’50s.

WALTERS: Effectively, it was our first job. And we did that for a number of years in the summertime.

LOPEZ: The Baronettes performed for years till Howard developed emphysema and needed to cease taking part in the saxophone. However Glenna saved touring along with her son Glenn and daughter Wendy, hitting the highway, hauling that piano and trailer throughout the nation.

WALTERS: I needed to do the entire thing and drive all these locations, you already know. We had two kitty cats. We needed to get a cat.

LOPEZ: Within the van with you?

WALTERS: After all.

(LAUGHTER)

LOPEZ: It is these moments the place you get a transparent glimpse into Glenna’s spirit, her pure skill to float of life, to forge forward it doesn’t matter what and to have enjoyable whereas doing it.

Do you could have any essential classes that you have discovered over time?

WALTERS: Classes? You imply what do you have to do and what you should not do?

LOPEZ: Yeah.

WALTERS: Effectively, you should not do medicine. And I do not do medicine. And you do not smoke.

LOPEZ: Glenna and Howard moved to Sacramento in 1975, watching their kids create their very own households. However in 1991, Howard’s well being was severely declining after years of battling diabetes.

WALTERS: He did not need to go to the hospital, and I made him go as a result of he had diabetes. And he simply wished to die. He says, I need to croak. That is what he stated. And everyone stated, oh, he needs a Coke.

(LAUGHTER)

WALTERS: I stated, no, he does not need a Coke as a result of he drinks Pepsis.

(LAUGHTER)

WALTERS: Stated, he wished to croak.

LOPEZ: I am struck by the convenience during which Glenna is ready to speak about loss. I am certain she’s had years to course of this and to inform that story, nevertheless it’s nonetheless outstanding to me that she’s in a position to chuckle at her personal private losses and see the lightness inside it. And despite the fact that Glenna has this unimaginable means of letting go and residing within the second, she does reminisce about Howard and their relationship whereas I am there.

WALTERS: I fell in love with that saxophone (laughter). Sure. I used to be very a lot in love with him.

LOPEZ: After Howard died, Glenna says she discovered a brand new sense of self by taking cross-country journeys to state and nationwide parks.

WALTERS: All on my own, and spent cash on myself, I did.

LOPEZ: She nonetheless performs the piano and reads loads.

MCFARLAND: Grandma, what number of books do you could have in your journal?

WALTERS: 4 thousand and 100 – 4,000 one thing.

LOPEZ: Since when?

WALTERS: Since I turned 65, I used to be retaining monitor of the books I learn.

LOPEZ: You have learn that many since then?

WALTERS: Yeah.

LOPEZ: That is unimaginable.

WALTERS: I’ve received a written ebook.

MCFARLAND: How lengthy does every ebook take to learn?

WALTERS: A couple of week.

MCFARLAND: Why do not you inform them what ebook you bought from the library? The large one.

WALTERS: Effectively, it is proper over there. It says, Barack Obama. And it is that thick. No kidding. I will learn it, I feel.

LOPEZ: Is that your subsequent ebook that you’ll learn?

WALTERS: No, I feel I am going to depart that until final.

LOPEZ: I am struck by her skill to plan forward at this age, however much more so to have the optimism to plan forward. As we’re wrapping up the dialog, Glenna’s granddaughter Cassie asks her…

MCFARLAND: What are your ideas on all of the expertise and cellphones all of us have?

WALTERS: Effectively, I normally assume, nicely, you certain wasted a variety of time (laughter), losing a variety of time.

LOPEZ: What brings you pleasure?

WALTERS: What brings me pleasure? Music. I like music. It is the perfect of something.

LOPEZ: She turns to the Alexa that’s sitting on her facet desk.

WALTERS: Alexa, Andre Previn must play some jazz.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MA: That was Glenna Lucille Walters of Rio Linda, Calif. She handed away earlier this yr on the age of 107. And you’ll find extra of her dialog with Terra Lopez on the podcast This Is What It Feels Like from member station Cap Radio in Sacramento.

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