Janet CollinsLife Over 110 Years
June 3rd 2009 20:58
Jack Ross
The death of the last Australian World War I veteran, Jack Ross, at 110 is the end of an era. Ross served as a wireless operator in the First Australian Imperial Force in World War I and then enlisted as a Voluntary Soldier in World War II.
Hearing the news, I tried to imagine what a view of the world – and even more so of Australia – for 110 years would be like.
Ross turned 110 in March. He was born before Australia had federated even if he wouldn’t have remembered it. It was before radio, television, talking movies, drive-ins, computers and the internet.
His life took him through two world wars and The Great Depression and he has seen so many men lead this country.
It is really difficult to imagine the world that Jack Ross entered - a world without cars or planes; a world where travel was slow and distances often separated families.
It is hard for most of us to even imagine what life in Australia would have been like when Ross was a kid. It certainly would have been a simple world even if life was harder, but I bet there was a much better sense of community back then.
Image credit: www.theage.com.au
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Comment by Mr Nice Guy
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It is for this reason that it's important to have our kids 'befriend' our seniors - they are living breathing history books.
Comment by Janet Collins
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The life experience of these older people is certainly so much different than ours and yes they are certainly living breathing history books. I have always thought that older people "knew things" that I or any of my peers did not.
Thank you for that.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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Comment by Janet Collins
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Too long to even imagine. I think he did his last Anzac Day march only about 4 years ago but has had to watch it on the telly ever since.
Thank you.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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Comment by katyzzz
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Comment by Janet Collins
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I often look at my parents and think they also have a much better sense of things and more a sense of community.
Thank you.
Comment by Kristin Wolgemuth
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Comment by Wilson Pon
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For me, I will be happy, if I able to live up to 80 years old, which is seem hard for me, due to the diabetes!
Comment by sam sall
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but did he ever talked about his secret, how did he make it to be 110 years old ? despite the the rough life he might experienced,
Comment by Janet Collins
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Hopefully some of his family and maybe the RSL kept a history on him. Just living through all the changes through the last century would have been amazing enough.
Thank you.
Comment by Janet Collins
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That is certainly a good way to describe a long life like that. Maybe you will get there because the medical discoveries that have save people who would have died a long time ago is also pretty amazing.
Thank you for the comment.
Comment by Janet Collins
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I know he didn't smoke and I think I read he didn't drink either but the rest I am not sure. To think that even four years ago he went into an ANZAC day march seems astounding.
Thank you.
Comment by Lilla
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Wow, agreed. It is hard to imagine tha changes that anyone his age would have witnessed. . even for those of us, born pre digital enhancement, it has been swift . . I mean we are talking not a single car on the road, almost!
Wow I enjoyed the way this post made me think backwards to my own experiences; when my youngest daughter asked me how the black discs worked to replay the music. . and how we switched the colour off the TV to show her what it was like before we had it and so many other things . . the least of which was how to use an old eggbeater!
But 110? Wow, that is something . . that is even pre egg beaters!
Lilla ..
Comment by Janet Collins
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I think 110 years ago must be pre-just about everything we know now. I think what an amazing life.
Take care.
Janet
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Stay healthy and loose weight
Comment by Marc P
The changes that Jack Ross must have witnessed is impossible to conceive.
Comment by Janet Collins
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It is really hard to imagine myself keeping up the energy and the enthusiasm for life as long as this man did but what he has been witness to is even more interesting.
Thank you for dropping by.
Comment by Janet Collins
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They all would seem so young, wouldn't they.
Thank you for commenting.
Comment by Janet Collins
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The world that Jack came into was certainly vastly different than the one we know, that's for sure.
Thank you for dropping by.
Comment by Lilla
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just as an afterthought, I have this Zen friend into alchemy and all sorts of alternative stuff and he was trying to talk me into trying to stay with him and live to 300 because it can be done he reckons?
So what do you think?
I have agreed, or to die trying!
/seriously/ I would love to make 100, if I could still get about an take care of myself, no problems with it. I think 110 is remarkable, truly.
Comment by Janet Collins
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300! That's really wishful thinking.
I often wonder how people live this long. After all, they say our generation and younger could live this long and more if they look after themselves and watch their diet. The food in Jack Ross' early days would not have been too great and he got there.
Lilla - here's to us all living and blogging until we are 110.