By Nihal Tharoor-Menon

 

Alabama, 1899

 

SCA took over my life long ago but lately it’s been after my dreams.

 

We had a rough wake up call with our portfolios last week and since then my brain has just refused to shut down.

 

Every night it keeps playing on loop all the things left undone, keeping me from my precious REM sleep.

 

I think Matt Kennedy expressed my sentiments perfectly in his SCAB, so for your sake and mine I’m going to allow my brain to wander outside of SCA…

 

 

 

 

Today there is only one person on this planet born in the 19^th century.

 

Susannah Mushatt Jones was born July 1899 in Alabama.

 

She is African-American and the granddaughter of slaves.

 

I’ve always been quite fascinated by the oldest living people, reflecting on the world they were born into and the world they inhabit now.

 

I can’t begin to fathom what life was like when Susannah came to be on that hot summer in Alabama 117 years ago.

 

 

As a kid I loved looking at the oldest humans in the Guinness World Records books, marveling at their lives.

 

Since the dawn of the Internet I have found myself checking Wikipedia every so often to see who holds the title.

 

I could see that human beings born in the 19^th century were dwindling, and felt a strange pang of sadness knowing that soon they’d all be gone.

 

Humanity closing its door on another century.

 

 

With Susannah we’re down to one.

 

Our last tie to the 1800s.

 

One day she will be gone, but it’s incredible to know that 19^th century Alabama baby is alive and kicking today.