Younger people have always turned to their elders for sage advice to help them navigate the winding roads of life, seeking knowledge and comfort from those who have seen and done it all.
In a video posted to the TikTok page of hairdresser Brittany Gannon from Blackhawk, California, she speaks to one of her clients, Julia, 97, about the secret to living such a long life, and the answer may surprise you.
"I don't want to live this long, I never wanted to live this long, I don't want to see what's going to happen in the future," she said as Gannon tries not to laugh. "I never went to a gym, never exercised, or anything. I just lived a normal life. Never ate healthy food, never went on a diet. I go against everything that everybody talks about."
"Should we expect to see you for [another] 10, 20 years?", asks Gannon, to which Julia replies, "Hope not!"
The average life expectancy in the U.S. is 76.1 years, as of 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, putting Julia 21 years above the average.
She comes to see Gannon for a style once a week, and they talk about all sorts of things.
"I've always felt Julia is an interesting and lovable person and believed others would feel the same," Gannon told Newsweek. "I think people relate to her attitude of being 'over it' and enjoy the humor she uses to talk about what can be a difficult topic to talk about.
"She is straightforward, honest, kind and completely supportive of my quest to bring humor to the masses with my videos, while hopefully getting more clients in the salon. She always asks me how I'm doing and remembers little things I told her from the week before. She is a wonderful example of a classy human being."
Julia was a teacher on the East Coast and lost her husband some years ago before moving to California to live with her son and his family.
"I believe the more we laugh at ourselves and our day-to-day trials the more we can accept life as it comes," said Gannon. "Laughter brings us together and makes me tune in to all the similarities we have rather than differences.
"As a child I always wanted to be a comedian. Making these videos feeds a part of me that I really didn't know needed feeding. We have so much fun making them and it is just as much for us as it is for the internet."
TikTok users loved the video featuring Julia.
"I've heard that question be asked so many times, never heard 'I didn't want to live this long' as a response," commented one user.
"She lived the dream! She managed to just LIVE. Beautiful," said another.
Newsweek's "What Should I Do?" offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Leonie Helm is a Newsweek Life Reporter and is based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on all things ... Read more
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