As many of you know, I seek out “Gutsy” people and when Posie showed up, I couldn’t resist.
Posie is a clown, but not your ordinary clown. She’s a 99-year-old clown. (More photos of Posie )
Her real name is Marie Kellogg, and guess what? She’s a world traveler, scuba diver, business entrepreneur and wisdom giver.
When people interview Posie she says, “You’re here because I’m a clown, right? Or do you just want to know the secret of a long life? Well, I’ll tell you both. There’s no secret. “Have fun and keep breathing.”
The problem Posie has these days is her hearing, and with one hearing aid in each ear Posie is concerned. “You’ve got to be able to hear,” she says, “especially with little kids. A clown has to talk to her people.”
When asked about travel, Posie says something truly inspiring:
- People think they can be too old to travel.
- I’ve got the time to do it.
- I’ve gone by myself, with friends and in groups.
- You experience life better when you go.
What a brilliant piece of advice from Posie. I believe travel benefits the mind, and that seeing other places and experiencing new cultures helps you get out of your comfort zone. As you can hear in my podcast with Robert MacPhee, travel makes it easier to take risks and overcome your fears.
Posie visited Africa two years ago and says:
“When you see how little people really need, all the stuff you want doesn’t make sense anymore.”
Once again, Posie and I are in agreement. Living in a third world country is the best way to learn the difference between wants and needs.
Not only does Posie have eight passports, each a reminder of her travels from London to Australia, but she’s also planned a cruise to Hawaii in March, 2012. I love the fact that Posie is looking for a date, and find it interesting how people’s expectations change with time.
“If you know a 90-year-old man, let me know. But he has to be able to walk, and it would be nice if he could still drive.”
Here’s what Posie had to say about her first time para-sailing a few years ago:
“Oh, you don’t do nothing except stand there and let them hook you up.”
Then she discovered scuba diving.
“I was in the water with Cousteau. Not Jacques but his son. I was in seventh heaven looking all around.”
Posie or perhaps I should call her by her real name, Marie Kellogg, was born in 1912 in Kansas.
Life hasn’t always been easy for her. She married a widower with four children when she was 24, and raised his children. She always wanted her own children but tried for sixteen and a half years, and never conceived.
She worked hard in a man’s job in those days, running a gas station.
“I sold more fan belts than anybody,” she says. “In those days, women weren’t supposed to work, and my husband said he wouldn’t trust a woman to do a lube job anyway.”
Her husband died of pancreatic cancer when Kellogg was only 40. She had very little money and no income, so she moved back with her siblings and disabled mother in Kansas City. But Kellogg was a sharp business woman and started small. She bought her first apartment, then the one above and below her. Then she bought a fixer upper house.
“I have enough money. It’s not everything, believe me.”
Her real joy in life is to dress up and perform as a clown. Although she no longer performs as a clown, her main reason is make-up:
“It kept drifting into my face cracks and, well, I looked scary…You know, noses never wrinkle?”
But as a clown, Posie is ageless, although she states:
“I hope to hell I don’t live to be 107. My doctor says I’m depressed. But I’m realistic. I’ve lived a fun life with good times, and why would I want to stick around for the bad part?”
Photo credit and the entire article linked here:
“What’s so funny about turning 99? Ask Posie the clown. “
Please share with someone in your life who needs uplifting. Do you know any “Gutsy” people you’d like me to interview?
Please contact me.
What an inspiring story. She has been a widow for 59 years and has had an incredibly full life. She (and you, Sonia) understand what too many people don’t: needs and wants are two very different things. Trouble almost always follows when someone gets the two mixed up.
I didn’t know the nose doesn’t wrinkle.
Bob Lowry recently posted..I Want to Retire Now!
I hadn’t thought of that part about being a widow for 59 years. My dad read the story and said, “Sonia, you only have 45 years left to reach Posie’s age. Cheers!”
That’s true, the nose doesn’t wrinkle. Why can’t the face not wrinkle too?
I loved reading about this incredible lady, Sonia. You have to admire a person who has made such a good and full life for herself, regardless of her circumstances. I know you must have really relished talking with her.
Jeanie recently posted..Plane, Trains, Buses, Toilets and Lots of Sights to See
Jeanie,
I would love to interview her personally. This I haven’t done yet. Note the “yet.”
I do find people fascinating, especially those who stay positive, especially as they age. Thanks. Did you go to London? Need to come over.
“Have fun and keep breathing” — advice on life doesn’t get any wiser or more succinct than that. She’s an amazing lady.
Sending this to my family.
Style Maniac recently posted..THE FACE OF 5F: Sarah Hawkins
I agree. Funny how we have to reach old age before we come up with wisdom like Posie’s. The secret is to realize it before.
I think the reason the nose doesn’t wrinkle is that it is cartilege and keeps on growing. So do ears, but I’d rather have wrinkled ears.
Loved the article. I took a clown class from a group in San Diego to enhance an audition. I was in my mid sixties. Haven’t used it much except for Halloween parties as the make-up takes about two hours to do right.
Finally, I heard an inspirational presentation a few years ago where the speaker was talking about her 92 year-old mother who had a refrigerator magnet that said “I’m going to live forever. So far, so good.” Not a bad attitude.
I’d rather have a less wrinkled face than ears myself.
Interesting that you took a clown class and that it takes 2 hours to do make-up right.
I’m literally blown away by this amazing woman! So inspiring. Thank you so much for this post.
Lady Fi recently posted..Dance of light and dark
I love Posie’s outlook too.
Oh man, I need her living next door! Since I have a number of decades yet to go, I need all the inspiration I can get.
I’m in awe of her spirit!
Miss Footloose | Life in the Expat Lane recently posted..Washing Your Hands with Barf and More Expat Fun
I agree. I’d love to interview her in person. But you have an exciting life too. You travel and live all over the place.
Ha ha! Posie’s got it all sewn up hasn’t she.
What could be more sensible than ‘have fun and keep breathing’ That made me laugh and as we all know laughter gets the endorphins travelling at speed, instantly makes you look and feel younger and subtracts years from your REAL age. Speaking of travelling, she says, ‘You experience life better when you go.’ Simple. I have absolutely no argument with her on this philosophy.
She reminds me of my neighbour who at 100 still walks down the street to do her shopping in the market. She complains a little bit these days but she can still laugh at my ‘jokes’
I believe it’s up the old to keep the young laughing.
And on that note and speaking of travelling, and London, Sonia……………….
Maggie recently posted..ROGER MILLA v DINAH
Maggie,
I know you have the laughter and upbeat gene yourself and as far at visiting Europe, I was thinking about February as airfares are cheaper then. We shall see.
In this depressing stage of my life, I feel so lucky to have read such an inspiring story. I like the way she looks at life and live it. She loves living life and knows the value of learning. Though already old, she stills continue to bring joy to a lot of people.
Kenneth recently posted..how to get a girl to like you
Kenneth, Glad this helped inspire you. I popped over to your blog and noticed your theme about”getting a woman to like you and not reject you etc.” I have a post on how women need to speak to men and get results, https://soniamarsh.com/2011/09/how-women-need-to-speak-to-men-and-get-results.html Different than your topic, but interesting from a woman’s perspective.
Love, love, love this! We’d all do well to have a little Posie attitude. Thanks for the great post!
Myndi Shafer recently posted..LISTENER
Glad you liked it and I enjoyed your Vincent Van Gogh post too.
As Marie is my aunt I would have to agree that she is a special person. She has always been a lot of fun to be around. Always ready to tell anyone who asked that they should live life to the fullest, trying to be the best person you can be. You could never really know what she was going to come up with next or where she was going to take off for.
Roger,
I am so happy to hear from you as a relative of Marie. How lucky to have her as an aunt. Is she on your mother’s or your father’s side?
I would like to get in touch with you. Sonia.
Posie has certainly experienced life to the fullest extent. It sounds as if she has always – and still is – game to try something new. It’s that attitude that has brought her this far. Attitude is everything and I can’t understand, without knowing the reasons, why her doctor would say that she’s depressed.
I did know an old lady whom I met when she was 104. As sharp as someone much younger and with an excellent memory. The day she died, she fell down while taking clothes out of the dryer. The paramedics came and she was joking with them as they were wheeling her out, when suddenly she stopped and died.
Pennie
What a beautiful story about the lady of 104 who kept joking on her way to the hospital and then she died. Yes, I sometimes wonder why some people remain so upbeat, while other are miserable.