A swift summer read I just wrapped up helped refocus and frame the concept of time. Thinking long term is one of my favorite activities. While none of us know when our time on God's green earth is up, we all have today's presence to grasp. Carpe Diem is what some friends subscribe to. The balance of thinking long term mixed with the frenetic, fast twitched pace of having a full calendar and checking off to-do's faster than an automatic aerator requires strategic decisions we all must make – consciously or subconsciously. After reading The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable Life of a 109 Year Old Man, there were several takeaways from the book that became clear when one looks at a life that started Pre-WWI and ended years after the launch of the iPhone. The question posed several times to Charlie, particularly in his centenarian years: what is the secret to living so long? His response was always "luck." However the author, David Von Drehle, seeks to decipher Charlie's longevity through his story. After the tragic loss of his father at a young age by an elevator operator, Charlie had to grow up fast. His older sisters and widowed mother were around and supportive but the demands of the house and home left little time for Charlie. As Charlie simply stated: "Mother put the responsibility of life on me at an early age." This included adding fresh coal to the fire at 4:00 a.m. before his mom and sisters woke up. Charlie framed his freedom to make adult decisions early on in life around the perspective of a survivor mentality, which is a perspective he kept for the rest of his life.
Von Drehle weaves the life of 109 year old man into a pithy 194 pages. He intertwines his relationship with Charlie (who is his neighbor) and adds touches of Drehle's family experiences. One constant theme is Charlie's reinvention of himself through constant curiosity. Charlie's occupation before WWII was a house doctor. The good ol' fashioned doctor who would come to your house. He was resourceful, so much so, he once took out tonsils with a wire frame used to hang up a picture. When WWII started, he had a choice to stay in Kansas City to build his practice or serve as a doctor in the Army. He chose the latter at the expense of his marriage. In the Army, he studied and learned the new ways of major advancements in anesthesia. Quickly, Charlie became the expert in anesthetics where he was stationed. This shift re-projected his career for the next 50 years and maybe even 60 has he would attend grand rounds into his late 90's.
The concept of time is fascinating when you look at in 100 year intervals. For those retiring at 65, imagine living another 44 years – you're only in the 5th inning of life! How exciting! Van Drehle gives clues throughout the book to draw conclusions (or guesses) to the secret of longevity mixed with concrete guiding principles Charlie believed. These ranged from "think freely" to "enjoy wonder," "take a chance," "observer miracles," and more. The Book of Charlie is an enjoyable summer read with a refresher to all that with some luck, the right mindset (one of survivorship in Charlie's case) and an ever-quenching thirst for knowledge, may every reader reach the age of 109.