Oldest Person in the World Passes Away at 116, Rest in Peace Besse

Besse Cooper of Monroe, Georgia was crowned as the world's oldest person at the ripe age of 116 years! No surprise that the oldest person in the world resides in the US, but looking back on her life and passing makes me realize how much times have changed in such a short time.

Besse passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Dec. 4th 2012. She is only one of eight people that the Guinness World Records recognize to have lived that long. In a quote about her secret to her long life she replied, "I mind my own business. And I don't eat junk food."

So think about this: Besse was 26years old when she joined the suffrage movement to campaign for women's right to vote in 1920. In just 92 years, women have gained the right to vote, the United States has been involved in almost half a dozen wars, Civil Rights are now enjoyed by all no matter what race, religion, gender, or sexual preference, and the United States has now seen it's first African American President.

Not just in that category, but look at all of the technological advances that have been made! Medical, communication, digital, transportation, we even VOTE on computers now.

The list goes on and on and on and the question in the back of mind is: am I going to be like my parents sooner than they were like theirs? Laughing at me like a silly kid who didn't know what an 8 track tape or a walkman was, will I be smirking at younger generations who don't know what cassette tapes, VHS, and VCR's are?

In the end, times change and people will continue to pass on. Blake and I are just thankful Besse got to go in peace. Rest in peace Besse!