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3 Amazing Centenarian Quotes
From childhood, we are taught that we need to make as many friends and acquaintances as possible in order to walk effortlessly through life, take at least the phrase: “Do not have a hundred cu, but have a hundred friends.” But what if, with age, new acquaintances and old friends do not always benefit, and sometimes even vice versa, each of a hundred demands not $92, but two, but quickly? Yesterday I found a newspaper with a small but memorable interview with the long-lived Arkady Repin, which he gave at the age of XNUMX. I have highlighted the quotes that stood out to me the most.
Don’t have a hundred friends
– I do not like making new acquaintances, with age they bring more sadness than joy.
– (Interviewer) Did you have any negative experience?
“Take the kids, even children, even teenagers, watch them. They have no worries, a lot of energy, enthusiasm, they have fun. It is rare that a kid comes to a friend and talks about his sorrows, they try to enjoy life.
What about age? Your friend comes and let’s complain left to right. If he feels bad, then you should too. The more such acquaintances, the more sorrows they bring. It is difficult to find such a person who will bring you joy, share something good. Good people do not share, but they bring problems for two times, the older the more. Why expand the range of problems? So I’m narrowing it down to the very best.
Observing the chronology of my own life, I myself notice a tendency to reduce the number of acquaintances and friends. Old acquaintances seem to be nearby, there are addresses and numbers, but there is no desire to communicate. Previously, I even blamed myself for this, but with age I understand that if you don’t feel like talking to someone, then there is a reason for that.
About the joys of life and loneliness
— Don’t you feel lonely?
— No, of course, the one who is unable to do at least something feels lonely. He sat down, folded his hands, waiting … That someone would come to help him, but no one came. It’s lonely for him that there is no one!
— So, you do not rely on others?
— If I had hoped, I would not have lived even half! (laughs). The point here is not even in the hope of others, but in doing something yourself. Someone will help — excellent, no — I will not grieve, I have a lot to do. My rule is this: I sat down to worry — I spent a day in vain, it’s useless.
The one who is busy with himself truly lives.
How do you manage to maintain such good spirits?
— It’s simple — it’s my choice. The world… it’s like a museum. It has everything: wars, sorrows, joys, deaths, accomplishments. What would you like to see in a museum? Someone chooses sadness, reads some news, incidents and chooses to grieve in the museum of life. I choose something else. I’m interested in reading interesting books, going out in the sun to sit, digging in the ground, finding a fungus or two.
So you are the master of your own life?
— Well, how! (laughs) In life there is always something to grieve about, but I’m not interested in it. I have a neighbor, he constantly watches the news about wars and it comes to me to chatter. And I’m not interested! I read Around the World in 80 Days, I want a boat for myself, at least I’ll go out to the crucian river. He made his choice — to grieve and complain, and I made mine — to rejoice, fantasize, do something, and we live two meters from each other. That’s the whole secret.
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