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Highlands Today

Our Reporters' Favorite Stories Of 2007: 105-Year-Old Driver Set A Good Example

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Mike Cavallaro, 105, recently passed away.

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By Joe  Seelig | Highlands Today

Published: January 1, 2008

SEBRING — As the cops reporter, most of what I write about, the daily crime in Highlands County, is generally depressing, with an occasional laugh from some of the dumber crimes.

But picking a favorite out of that mess was kind of tough. So I looked at some of the feature stories I had written and one stood out in my mind; a Heartland People profile I had written.

It was the story of Mike Cavallaro, a Bottonwood Bay resident, who was turning 105 and was still driving his Ford Focus.

Cavallaro was a pleasant Italian-born gentleman, who had been driving for 95 years and wasn't about to stop. Besides, he could drive just fine, he said. There's a lot to be said for experience.

"I've been driving since I was 10 years old," he said, looking out over his bifocals at me. "Nobody bothered you back then. You just drove. When I get in back of the wheel I feel like there is no change. I'm 10 years old again. If they took away my driving privileges it would end for me soon."
I say was, because I also had the unpleasant task of writing his obituary story a few short months after I interviewed him.

It brought about lots of newsroom banter about when should it be time to surrender the driver's license and start accepting rides from family, friends, neighbors.

But when you're 105, many of your old friends have long passed. There is also a good chance you've outlived your relatives.

I found myself rehashing my horror stories about an old car I owned, the nightmare vehicle of all time, or as it was put to me by the service manager of a dealership, a throw-away car.

It also brought up conversations about the high cost of taxis, and the issue of this county's lack of public transportation.

Cavallaro and his Bottonwood roommate, Ursula Albecker had what I called a symbiotic friendship. She acted as his ears. He was wearing hearing aides in each ear, when we spoke. He acted as her eyes.
She was legally blind at the time and relied on a seeing eye dog named Winston. Thinking about her makes me wonder how they're doing.

Cavallaro had some good advice for people in the closing portion of my story.
"Is there any great secret to your longevity?," I asked him.

Cavallaro admits he smoked until he was 48, but he finally quit. He said he liked partaking in a glass of wine.

"I started drinking wine when I was 4," he said. "My dad would give me half and half; half water and half wine. I drank wine with all my meals except breakfast."

And, "Hard work never hurt anybody," he said.
"People say hard work will kill you; don't you believe them," he said. "I worked hard all my life. I went after a dollar no matter where it came from, long as I worked for it."

Cavallaro never had a major operation, either.
"About three years ago the doctor wanted to give me a pace maker," Cavallaro said. "I said 'No way. I've never had a cut on my body and I'm not going to now.' I said, 'Put it in your own body.'"

He ate whatever he wanted, but grew up on Italian cooking, loved tomatoes, pasta, salads and many types of greens. Not unlike myself.

He also loved people.

"People say to me, 'Mike you're always smiling.'" he said with a broad smile. "Well, a smile goes a long way, doesn't it? And never hate anybody. Hate is not good, and be nice. That's it."

He made me think about my own aging process. I hope to be as spry, mentally sharp and nice as he was when I grow up.

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