This was inspired by a thread in the Pit that mentioned a Lewis Black bit. That reminded me of another bit in his album Rules of Enragement, where he talked about the oldest citizen of New York City.
According to Lewis, at the time of the interview the man was 105. For the last fifteen years, his diet consisted mainly of “three gallons of Thunderbird wine a week, and bread fried in fatback.”
Is this true, or did Lewis make it up?
(Mind you, I’m not about to try that diet. First of all, I don’t even know where to buy fatback. Second, all I have to cook with is a microwave. Third, I don’t even like Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill, which as far as I can tell is strawberry-flavored Thunderbird.)
Fatback: the other white meat. No, really - you probably just never looked to see what it was when you saw it in the grocery store. I hope. Either that or you live in some heathen wilderness. One does hope you can at least buy a box of lard.
I think the diet is less important as the attitude of just enjoying life within your own limits.
My husband had a great uncle who lived into his late 90s. He was healthy up until the end - working his own farm. He drank a pint of whiskey and smoked two packs of Lucky Strikes every day. He died when he rolled over his pick-up truck while racing some teenagers for pink slips.
Moral: Have some fun, blow off steam and enjoy yourself.
