Bennie Johnson Bennie Johnson is a chipper 100-year-old who can be tough to get a hold of.

Often, he's moving around on his power wheelchair and holding court with anyone willing to listen, smashing stereotypes of what old age looks like.

He is a resident in excellent health at the Cedar Hill Healthcare Center.

Asked about his centenarian status, he simply attributes it to "not dying. "

"I had the best parents in the world. We were poor people, but they always said that we were as good as anybody. You look everyone in the eye, and you treat everyone the way you want to be treated."

Aging

"What my mom told me was that I was born Jan. 7, 1910.

"If you have peace of mind early in life, everything will work out to your advantage. If I didn't have the money for something, I didn't buy it.

"If I wanted something, I'd be saving until I had enough for what I wanted to get. That's the best medicine there is. There's an old saying: `If you have one friend, you're a millionaire. '

"I'm worth more than the national debt.

"And if you have a desire and you have the determination, there's not any limit to where you can go."

Eating

"Growing up in the country, you ate good old wholesome food. It was all you had. I ate what I wanted but I didn't overeat.

"Today, I eat three times a day. I ask for (don't always get it) two eggs, honey on one side of a biscuit and gravy and sausage and juice. That's my breakfast almost every morning, the most important meal."

Retirement

"Forty years ago, my doctor said, `You have to stop working because of eyesight and mandatory retirement age (state law) for bus drivers."

Longevity

"I try to make people happy, and when things come up that seem a little discouraging, I always try to find a light or something that will help them overcome it."

Hobbies

"Fishing was never my cup of tea (did some), liked hunting until my eyes got bad. I used to enjoy farming. That gave me a lot of pleasure.

"Now, I'm doing the best I can with what I got. I can't see as well as I used to. I go out front on the porch of the center and enjoy the conversation with the people who come and go."

Send greetings to Bennie Johnson, 1960 Elderleaf Drive, Dallas, TX 75232, or call 214-339-5100.