Living It UP, Forever

WINDSOR, ONTARIO -JANUARY 18, 2012 - 101 year-old Viola Arnold grimaces while having her ears pierced by Caryl Baker Visage Cosmetics owner Ken Gayowsky at Devonshire Mall in Windsor, Ontario on January 18, 2012. SEE STORY BY SHARON HILL . (JASON KRYK/ The Windsor Star)

It's true, we are getting older, plenty of us. It's the fate of all living things. But we humans, particularly those of us who have been nicely endowed genetically with an inheritance from previously long-lived forbears, and a forgiving environment and life habits, have been living longer, healthier. Advances in medicine, pharmaceuticals, and strategies to forge a healthier lifestyle have helped immensely.

Living longer and living to enjoy it. There's the story of Viola "Dolly" Arnold, for whose 101st birthday people urged her to live it up a little. "I never gave any thought about it, but one of the girls where I work talked me into it", she explained. One of the girls where she works. She's passed the century mark, and she's working. She looks robust enough. Actually, she looks far younger than her 101 years.

What she did, to celebrate her birthday was to get her ears pierced. The salon in a mall in Windsor Ontario loved the publicity, and no doubt loved Dolly Arnold, too. They picked up the tab themselves for the piercing, and presented Ms. Arnold with a flower bouquet to make the occasion even more special.

Chugging along to catch up to Ms. Arnold is another nonagenarian who lives in Toronto. Mary Thompson has a regular job working for her daughter's theatre company. She started employment there back in 1974 and she's still going strong; hasn't missed a day's work and isn't planning to. She worked and continues to, at the Famous People Players supper theatre, and she loves it.

Originally she was the company's prop-maker. More latterly she directs the prop-making. And she acts as receptionist, launderer, and does the ironing, besides being hostess to the diners. "I agree with the government that something has to be done. Sixty-five is nothing. It is nothing at all, and even 67 - I'd say jump up the retirement age to 70", she declaims.

Idleness is the work of the devil. When any of the theatre company's employees feel ill and call in sick they hope against hope they won't have Mary Thompson answer their call. She tells them to hurry in to work, because once they're here they'll feel a whole lot better. "I talk them into coming in", she says.

She works six days, about 60 hours a week, and still pays her taxes. She could rest and take it easy. "That sounds like a waste of time to me. You are wasting your life away, just sitting there", she says. She enjoys keeping busy. It gives more meaning to her life. Who wants to sit around, anyway? Not 96-year-old Mary Thompson.

Darren Calabrese / National Post Mary Thornton has been working for puppet company Famous People Players since its founding nearly 40 years ago.