World's Oldest Man: 'Life is Short'

Walter Breuning, the world's oldest man at 113 years, gave a pretty amazing birthday speech Monday at the Montana retirement home where he lives:

Life begins each morning whether we have succeeded or failed or just muddled along. Life is a school to learn, not to unlearn.

Life is the creation by God and if you would know God, be not a solver of riddles. Look about you and you shall see him playing with your children. Look into the air and you shall see him walking in the clouds, out-stretching his arms in the lightning and descending in rain. You shall see him smiling in flowers, then rising and waving his hands in trees.

Life is a great teacher of truth. What is truth to one is not truth to another. What is true in one country may be false in another.

Life is short but the influences of what we do or say is immortal. There needs to be much more of the spirit of fellowship among us and more forgiveness. The power of gentleness is little seen in the world.

Remember that life's length is not measured by its hours and days, but by that which we have done therein. A useless life is short if it lasts a century.

There are greater and better things in us all if we would find them out. There will always be in this world -- wrongs. No wrong is really successful.

The day will come when light and truth and the just and the good shall be victorious and wrong as evil will be no more forever.

Life itself teaches us to best prepare for that future which we hope for and for that journey to that land un-known, not made by hands.

Everything just is beautiful; everything beautiful ought to be just.

The mystery of the world remains unknown. Our maker alone is the key which unlocks all the mysteries of the universe.

The world is neither a prison nor a palace of ease, but rather for instruction and discipline.

This world has been good to all of us.

Aging · History · Philosophy · 2009/09/25 · 2 COMMENTS · Link

Comments

Wow!

#1 · joely · 2009/09/26

This was beautiful. This is what wisdom is. The fullest expression of what he experienced in his life. He surely cherished the ups and downs he had in his life. Lovely piece of literature. Thanks for sharing it.

#2 · Mike Scott · 2009/11/13