{"id":11819,"date":"2023-08-31T12:00:18","date_gmt":"2023-08-31T19:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sanpedrotoday.com\/?p=11819"},"modified":"2023-09-01T09:28:11","modified_gmt":"2023-09-01T16:28:11","slug":"aging-gracefully","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanpedrotoday.com\/2023\/08\/31\/aging-gracefully\/","title":{"rendered":"Aging Gracefully"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Rosemarie Carlisle, 101. (photo: John Mattera Photography)<\/p><\/div>\n

One hundred years ago, three girls found themselves in various corners of the world. \u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI remember when they were building the Golden Gate Bridge,\u201d says Rosemarie Carlisle. \u201cThe day it opened, my girlfriends and I were one of the first people to walk over it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Toni Banks was in Manila, and she recalls her childhood best friend. \u201cI remember playing sports with my friend Nina, whose father was the ambassador to Spain. We went everywhere together.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And in New York City, a teenage Annette Warren Smith was getting her big break with jazz pianist Phil Moore. \u201cHe said he had 15 minutes for me to play piano at 8 o\u2019clock. I played Chopin, and I was there until midnight.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A century later, the women are now neighbors at Harbor Terrace Retirement Community in San Pedro, having lived long and storied lives. Rosemarie, 101, would go on to raise four children with her husband, whom she met during World War II, all of whom she proudly put through college and now have children of their own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Toni, 102, weathered the occupation of the Philippines during the war before eloping with an American sailor to San Pedro, where she raised a family while managing the cafeteria at South Shores Elementary School.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And Annette, 101, would go on to become an accomplished vocalist, dubbing Hollywood stars like Lucille Ball and Ava Gardner.<\/p>\n

With so many experiences, we sat down with the three in August to see if we could learn what they had to teach about life, longevity, and more. Here\u2019s what they told us.<\/p>\n

ON HEALTH & LONGEVITY
\n<\/span>When it comes to the secret to longevity, it turns out there\u2019s no correct answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI eat the wrong things: white rice, white bread, and pasta. And I don\u2019t have a diet,\u201d says Toni, adding that she never eats vegetables. \u201cI eat what I feel like eating, and if I don\u2019t like it, I don\u2019t eat it.\u201d Though she kept a garden throughout her life and exercises daily, she\u2019s taken a relaxed approach to health, one that Annette contradicts. \u201cMy mother was very interested in nutrition, and she was a distributor for a vitamin company,\u201d she explains. \u201cShe would say, \u2018Here honey, eat this, it\u2019ll keep you young. I took a lot of supplements.\u201d Rosemarie is more of a middle ground \u2014 in her opinion, the secret to a long life is simply luck and wisdom. \u201cI was lucky enough to have the sense to listen to my doctors,\u201d she says. \u201cThat, and good genes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Annette Warren Smith, 101. (photo: John Mattera Photography)<\/p><\/div>\n

ON HARDSHIP<\/span>
\nRegarding life\u2019s challenges, the women emphasize the importance of staying positive, although Toni admits it hasn\u2019t always been easy. During World War II, she was working as a volunteer nurse in the Philippines when her appendix ruptured. She underwent emergency surgery without anesthesia \u2014 and at one point, the surgeons had to stop halfway through the operation to take shelter from bombings. \u201cThat and having to leave our house many years ago was the only stress I had,\u201d says Toni. \u201cToday, I think positively and always try to be kind to everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Annette, who spent many years teaching meditation in addition to singing, feels the same. \u201cI don\u2019t recognize stress. I was always interested in meditating and everything that keeps you stress-free, so I practiced them.\u201d She believes a positive mindset, even in challenging situations, is essential to a happy life. \u201cLaughter is the most alive and loving thing you can do \u2014 and I laugh a lot!\u201d she says, laughing, of course. \u201cI see the humor in almost everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

ON LIFE<\/span>
\nWhen asked for her greatest life advice, Toni again cites positivity. \u201cPeople need to be positive, never be negative. And if you see someone, you need to have compassion for that person.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rosemarie strikes a similar tone. \u201cYou must be good to each other, stop fighting, and hold your temper,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd be determined. Make up your mind and stick with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting on her career, Annette stresses that manifesting your goals \u2014 meaning seeing yourself already having achieved them, even if you haven\u2019t \u2014 is critical in reaching them. She describes how she took that advice herself after seeing a casting call to dub Ava Gardner in Showboat<\/i>. \u201cI was in the kitchen reading the paper, and I put my coffee cup down and said, \u2018That\u2019s my job,\u2019\u201d she recalls. \u201cI really believed it. I believed it, and I got it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite a storied career, Annette considers her greatest achievement to be her marriage to jazz pianist Paul Smith, which lasted for over 50 years. When asked what made it work, her answer is simple. \u201cApproach each other with love,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen things get tough \u2014 and they will \u2014 always make the loving choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Toni Banks, (102). (photo: John Mattera Photography)<\/p><\/div>\n

ON WHAT IT ALL MEANS<\/span>
\nDirector of Resident Services at Harbor Terrace Judith Diamond, has known Annette, Toni, and Rosemarie for years, and she\u2019s excellent at making sense of what their advice means.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think what we can learn from them is that there isn\u2019t one picture of what 100 [years old] looks like,\u201d she says. \u201cFirst, you have Toni; she\u2019ll just sit there and laugh. And then Annette, who\u2019d never even hurt a fly \u2013 she\u2019s such a sweet soul. And then you have Rose, who\u2019s feisty. She just goes out and does it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Judith believes that one of the greatest lessons the trio has to teach goes beyond health, longevity, and love. \u201cLots of times, we dismiss people because they are older. If you ever run into someone that\u2019s gotten that far, sit down with them,\u201d says Judith. \u201cThey\u2019re excited to tell you their story, and if you just take the time to talk, you\u2019ll see that they have such amazing things to say.\u201d spt<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One hundred years ago, three girls found themselves in various corners of the world. \u00a0 \u201cI remember when they were building the Golden Gate Bridge,\u201d says Rosemarie Carlisle. \u201cThe day it opened, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":11889,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nAging Gracefully - 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