The world’s oldest person died this week. Kane Tanaka was born in Japan on January 2, 1903. What else happened that year?
The first west-east transatlantic radio broadcast from the U.S. to England occurred a few weeks later. Henry Ford raised $28,000 in cash and founded a motor company in June. The Wright Flyer took to the air at Kitty Hawk in December.
So her life spanned the first flight to the first crypto Super Bowl ads.
Meanwhile, last Friday my lifelong friend – and former producer during my television sports career – and I visited our now 87-year-old former director. He seemed in good health, although many pounds lighter than several decades ago. He did walk with a cane and got around well.
He also repeated the same story at least 20 times – and kept asking us if we ever worked with an announcer we all did many game with in the 80’s. When we showed him a picture of the three of us with another announcer, he didn’t recognize him.
The last thing he said to us – with a laugh: ‘The next time you see me, I’ll be in a coffin.”
It’s tough to see others age, especially those we love or knew when their minds were clear. There’s an old adage: ‘it beats the alternative;’ however, I’m not sure that being unable to remember things is a worthwhile quality of life. I tell our kids, “Just give me 85 and out.”
That feels a lot better than 119.
