Pere Quintana talks about age with a tranquility that he impresses anyone who listens to him, especially because he is about to turn 109 years old and he approaches the subject with absolute humor. Born in Barcelona, the 108-year-old made news when he reflected on the time he spent in retirement and the weight he says he represents for the State.
“I’m not a good deal for the State”
While remembering the path he took, Quintana states with irony: “I spent many more years retired than I worked”, a reality that few people in the world can affirm. However, the phrase that has caused the most people to talk is another: “I am not a good deal for the State”.
In a report shared with the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, he explained that he worked as a pharmacist for 37 years before ending his professional career. Since then, he has completed more than seven decades of reform, something that leads him to view the pension system with pragmatism.
A lucid look at extreme old age
When analyzing the impact of his own longevity, the centenarian commented that “Social Security wouldn’t be able to survive if everyone lasted as long as I did”. The phrase, said calmly and without drama, illustrates his awareness of the debate surrounding demographic aging.
According to the same source, from his home in Barcelona, Quintana continues to maintain a simple, balanced and deeply human routine. He says he lives without rushing, with daily moments of reflection, short walks and lots of music, a passion that has been with him since he was a child.
Between confidences, he shared that he always believed in moderation and good humor as essential pillars for a long life. “Moderation and humor are the best recipe”, he stated, as if revealing a secret that, after all, he never hid.
Music as a link with the past
His connection to music began early and marked his entire youth. He learned the violin at a very young age and kept the instrument as an extension of his identity. Today, he confesses that he no longer touches him like he used to, but he continues to look at him with affection.
When evoking this memory, he admitted that the violin was his refuge in the most demanding periods of his professional life. “I still have it at home, sometimes I look at it and it reminds me of who I was”, he said, showing how music remains a faithful companion.
A story marked by love and resilience
Quintana’s journey was not just linked to his profession or the long decades of retirement. The hardest episode of his life came when his wife suffered a stroke, when they were both close to 80 years old. He took care of her for more than 20 years, in a gesture that he describes as an act of love.
For the centenarian, this period was challenging, but also deeply significant. “They were difficult years, but they were also the most important. “They were difficult years, but also the most important. Taking care of those you love is a way of thanking life”, he recalled, with visible emotion.
His family continues to be his biggest support, and the retired pharmacist insists on repeating this. Father of four children, grandfather of eight grandchildren and great-grandfather of five, he feels that each visit is a renewal of energy. “They give me reasons to continue”, he highlights.
A philosophy of life without secrets
When asked about the formula for reaching 109 years of age, the answer comes immediately: “Accept what comes with good humor”. For Quintana, serenity is more important than any rigid rule about health or behavior.
He believes that life has to be lived with acceptance and gratitude, concepts that he conveys to those who visit him. “It’s not worth getting angry with life; we have to live it as long as it leaves us”, he summed up to , with the wisdom of someone who has lived through a century of changes.
In the end, his testimony became more than a tale of longevity. It is a reflection on the passage of time, on the strength of family and on the importance of maintaining joy, even when the years continue to pile up far beyond what the State ever anticipated.
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