When I get older

Had to repost this -- hopefully it won't get me sued. This is from Julie Deardorff's blog on the Chicago Tribune online, and I think she's spot on. I'd venture a guess that many/most viewers of Sunday's Oscar telecast did not know who Robert Boyle was (though we knew his films), and suspect that (like me) most people were blown away and inspired by his demeanor/composition/lucidity at 98 years of age.

Health tips from 98-year-old Robert Boyle

At 98, he's one happy accident Legendary production designer Robert Boyle received an honorary Oscar last Sunday, but I still don't believe he's 98. Articulate, funny and more lucid than Cameron Diaz, Boyle seemed more like a recent retiree than a grandfather verging on centenarianism. Impressed, I tracked him down at his home above the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, where he was nursing a sore left foot. He turned down the television so he could hear my first question: What's your secret? A: "Actually, I'm not very fit. I have a torn Achilles tendon. [He slipped on the stairs of his home.] I wear a big boot now, but last night [at the Oscars] I didn't wear it and kind of paid for it. I never did do anything right for my health. I was in the sun too much, and I suffer from skin cancer, I drank too much and smoked too much. Q: Do you still do any of these things? A: Oh no. It would kill me. Q: Did you use a Teleprompter for your speech? A: My eyesight isn’t very good, so I didn't rely on it. I memorized what I was going to say, which I wrote. I really didn't think I did that well. I was surprised to hear people say they thought it was good. [I offer to e-mail him the You Tube link so he can watch it. He enthusiastically gives me his e-mail address.] Q: What did you have for breakfast today? A: A few three-minute eggs. I have no strict diet. I eat all kinds of food. Q: Do you have any health issues? A: I take a whole bunch of pills. At my age, everything is wrong; I have a bad ticker. I take so many pills I can't count them; that's the misery of my life. But my doctor loves it. Q: Do you have any advice? A: Life is full of accidents. By accident, you could be finished [with life] very early or very late. I've gone through a lot of problems, including being a soldier in World War II. It was just an accident I didn’t go under heavy, sharp objects. I'm interested [in life], that's it. I'm interested in politics and what’s happening and not happening in the world. In case you missed him in action: