Si Liberman and his wife Dorothy at the Great Wall of China in 2003. Photo / Courtesy of Si Liberman via The Washington Post
Si Liberman and his wife Dorothy at the Great Wall of China in 2003. Photo / Courtesy of Si Liberman via The Washington Post
It might just be due to luck. But there are a few things that I’ve done throughout my life that may have made a difference.
I never dreamed I’d end up 100-plus years old, but here I am still pumping out stories. I just turned 101 in September.
People alwaysask me, “what’s your longevity secret?” I’ve outlived most of my doctors and close friends, so I understand why people ask, but it’s a question I don’t have an easy answer for.
I do know it’s not because I have lived a life free of problems. When I was 5, I was hit by a truck while crossing the street with my brother, and for 10 days I was comatose in the hospital with a fractured skull and broken right arm. Just two months later, I had a ruptured appendix and emergency surgery.
I had a heart attack at 39. At 79, I briefly lost vision in one eye and had carotid artery surgery to remove arterial plaque to prevent a stroke. At 89, I had a triple bypass and mitral valve repair surgery, and now have a pacemaker. And more recently, I broke my hip.
I’ve had other challenges as well. We lost our home in the Great Depression of the late 1920s and 1930s. I came home from school one day and my mother was crying because we were going to have to leave the house. My father couldn’t pay the mortgage, which was US$14 a month. As a World War II B-24 bomber radio gunner, my plane was often hit by enemy fire flak during 13 bombing missions over Nazi Germany. I also made it through the worst days of the pandemic, which has killed more than a million Americans.
Si Liberman, 2025. Photo / Courtesy of Si Liberman via The Washington Post
As for my longevity secrets, here’s what I tell people:
1. Focus on relationships
“I’ve been very lucky. I’ve been married for 76 years. Before getting married, we dated for three years. We’ve always been very close. My wife, Dorothy, is 97. She’s twice broken her hip and had other issues. We have two terrific children who we’re very close to, and two grandchildren who always keep in touch. We’ve lived through a lot of years and had a lot of the challenges, but we came through quite well.
Most everyone smoked when I was young, but I didn’t. I never really learned how to inhale. When I started going with my wife, she was smoking now and again, but I got her to quit. I did it one day while in a restaurant. I pulled out a cigar and started smoking it. “You look absolutely ridiculous smoking a cigar,” she said. And I said, “I’m going to keep smoking them until you quit.” And she quit.
3. Exercise and eat healthy
We’ve always tried to eat healthy. I have fruit for breakfast and eat a lot of fish. My wife was always health conscious, making sure we ate the right food and exercised. After moving to Florida 14 years ago, my routine has included walking on the beach followed by swimming in our building’s pool.
4. Have a positive attitude
Despite having to get through some dark days, I’ve never been down for very long. If I have a cold, I think it will be better soon. If I’m going through a rough time, I think I just have to live through it and things will look up. I think attitude is highly underrated and can’t be underestimated. I’m almost always optimistic. I always thought there would be better days ahead and that positive attitude probably helped.
5. Get appropriate medical care as best you can
As you can tell from my health history, I’ve benefited from the scientific progress we’ve made in treating health conditions and what I would call the miracles of modern medicine. We’ve always been careful and had routine appointments with doctors. We’ve had the same cardiologist for almost 20 years.
Si Liberman with the WWII B-24 bomber crew. Photo / Courtesy of Si Liberman via The Washington Post
6. Do work you find meaningful
When I was working, I was editor of the Asbury Park Sunday Press, a privately owned paper. It was a challenging and rewarding job as a journalist for more than 40 years. And I still do a little writing to keep busy. I think it keeps me well, and I know there’s always something to do. I believe that also has contributed to my longevity.
7. Be a little lucky
It’s been a rocky road reaching this stage of life after a number of near-death experiences. Above all, I believe I’ve been a lucky guy in a 79-year relationship with my wife. Though she’s had some memory problems since falling several times, she always remembers to exchange kisses before we go to sleep at night. Living with someone you care about, who also cares about you, really helps.
I don’t know how that fits in, but we’ve had a helluva good life.
