Sunday, April 19, 2009

Forever Young


My great-grandaunt Bert lived to 103. Aunt Marge made it to 95. My father is 88. My family suffers longevity well and at 56 I can still beat teenagers at basketball, so I suspect I'm headed for a ripe old age in full control of my diminishing facilities and if so I hope to age much like Levi Montalcini. This senator for life and Nobel Prize winner in Italy celebrate celebrated her 100th birthday. She came to the event honoring her centagenarism in an elegant navy-blue dress. Aged beauty. She had been banned from academia by Mussolini. The Nazis had hunted her in the 1940s. Senora Montalcini was no stranger to adversity and told her admirers.

"Above all, don't fear difficult moments. The best comes from them."

She discovered her truth in a bedroom lab thanks to Mussolini.

You never know where the road will lead as long as you stay forever young.

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