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Inside the life of the world’s oldest verified human

“I only have one wrinkle,” Jeanne studies the links between health and like it and ended up quitting…until
Calment of Arles, France, once said. longevity. And Robine narrowed she turned 112 when she resumed
“And I’m sitting on it.” down three fundamental reasons the habit while living in a nursing
As you might surmise—just from why he believed Calment lived as home.
that quote alone, Calment wasn’t the long as she did.
kind of woman who bit her tongue. 3. A full dance card
But, then again, when you’ve lived 1. Wealth And just to clarify for younger
to see the age of 122 like Calment It’s no surprise that having a little Dispatch readers of this publication,
did, I think you’ve earned the right to extra coin can make life easier, and having a full dance card means that
be a bit cheeky. do this time of year anyway. this is a notion that Calment benefit- your social life is out of this world.
Most would agree that a good While the anticipated newness of ted from having grown up in a bour- Robine learned that, due to Cal-
sense of humor contributes to one’s January often prompts many to pon- geois family in the south of France. ment’s immense freedom, she spent
overall quality of life. And prior to der and reevaluate their lives, I’ve For starters, Calment attended most of her time attending social
her historic passing in 1997, Cal- come to feel similarly about the school until the age of 16, which was events and meeting new people. She
ment essentially proved at least that month of June. Some might find this uncommon for women during that traveled often with her husband and
much to be true: She didn’t take any- odd because June is the year’s half- time. She also took private classes in even (gasp!) saw the construction of
thing too seriously—including her- way point. But, when you think cuisine, art, and dance until she mar- Paris’s Eiffel Tower. Said Robine,
self. about it, this month often has all the ried at age 20. “She was discovering this fascinating
Here’s another Calment zinger: makings of a This Is Your Life world at the turn of the nineteenth
According to The Irish Times, when episode, as many of life’s biggest 2. Not smoking — and twentieth century.”
the crowd gathered at Calment’s milestones traditionally occur within until much later in life Ahhh, to be young, rich, footloose,
nursing home to celebrate her 120th these 30 days. From graduations, Times have changed tremen- and fancy free. Sounds delightful,
birthday back in 1995, Calment, weddings, anniversaries, and more, dously since Calment was a young doesn’t it?
who outlived both her daughter and the incentive for celebrations (and woman. Robine stresses that we Many of us, unfortunately, simply
grandson, revealed that she was new beginnings) abounds. must consider what life was like at can’t relate to such good fortune and
awaiting “death and journalists.” But back to the topic at hand, the end of the nineteenth century in are more accustomed to stomaching
I read an article on Calment’s life which is how to live long. a tiny town in the South of France. the grind of a 9-to-5, enduring the
weeks ago, and it got me thinking Turns out, prior to her death, Cal- Case in point: Women weren’t al- perils of childrearing, and having to
about the keys to contentment and ment sat down with Jean-Marie lowed to smoke—until they married. soldier through a garden variety of
longevity, which, to be fair, I tend to Robine, an expert demographer who Robine says, “It was absolutely life’s annoyances.
forbidden—and impossible—for a And if you fit in the latter category,
girl, and specifically in a bourgeois there’s still hope: As a disclaimer,
family, to do that.” Robine assures, “We have to keep in
So, when Calment’s husband of- mind that a big part of the longevity
fered her a cigarette, she jumped at of Jeanne Calment is due to chance
the chance to indulge in something because it’s just so exceptional.”
that had long been considered Courtney Conover is wife, mom,
risqué. yoga instructor, and Chicken Soup
Enter irony: When Calment for the Soul contributor who has
smoked for the first time, she didn’t called Wayne home since 1995.

Robert "Bob" Boertje was born on June 3,
1960 in Detroit, Michigan. He passed away on
June 5, 2023 at the age of 63 in Wayne, Michi-
gan. Robert was the son of Teresia and Jacob
Boertje and is survived by wife, Lynn Ann
Boertje, brother, Michael (Andrea) Boertje, sis-
ter, Deborah Boertje, son, Jakob Boertje,
daughter, Holland (Kevin Lutley) Boertje,
grandson, Oliver Boertje, and faithful compan-
ion, Millie.
Bob was beloved by many and always
known as the life of the party. He was an active
member of the Wayne community in which he
spent his life. He wore many hats; father, coach,
advocate, and jokester. He enjoyed traveling
and spending time with his friends and family.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memo-
rial contributions to American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org. Robert "Bob" Boertje
The Wayne Dispatch · June 2023 · 13