Dick Van Dyke proves that wisdom comes with age.
The veteran entertainer, who turned 100 earlier this month, is not afraid of dying, even though he is acutely aware of his own mortality.
Appearing on “Good Morning America” on Friday, Van Dyke confessed that he has “thought about” death but is “not afraid.”
“Death isn’t that scary to me, but I want to live more!” he said.
According to the “Dick Van Dyke Show” star, “some people are afraid of death” because they think the dying person is “aware” of what’s going on.
It’s true that I have no idea what will happen when someone dies, but I try not to think about it.
Last month, the actor reflected on aging in an essay published in the Sunday Times.
“It’s frustrating to feel diminished in the world, both physically and socially,” he wrote.
Van Dyke, who lives in Malibu, Calif., explained that she has been traveling a lot lately, so she had to turn down gigs in New York and Chicago.
“Almost all my visits with people have to take place in my own home,” he shared, calling himself “an outsider, a limping, unsteady person.”
“I have problems with my legs and I lie on my back as often as I can politely,” he quipped, adding, “My eyesight is now out of the question. I have trouble following group conversations and often complain about my hearing aids.”
Despite his physical disabilities, the comedian, who stopped drinking and smoking in his 50s, “still makes it a point to go to the gym three times a week.”
Van Dyke made sure to mention that he feels young and vibrant in heart and soul because he is actively making that choice.
“I was able to reach the age of 99 in large part because of my stubborn refusal to succumb to the bad things in life: failures and defeats, personal losses, loneliness and regrets, and the physical and mental pains of aging,” he explained.
“Those are realities, but I didn’t let them define me. Instead, for most of my years, I was in what can only be described as a total bearhug with the experience of living. Being alive is doing life. It’s less like a job and more like a giant playground.”
Van Dyke, who still sings in an a cappella group, credited his wife of 54 years, Arlene Silver, for keeping him from being “loose and grumpy.”
