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When Laura Simon was born--- Theodore Roosevelt was president, Albert Einstein worked on his special theory of relativity, and the average life expectancy in the United States was roughly 48 years. The fact that she is alive today, 102 years later, is newsworthy.

The fact that she is legally blind, a painter, an avid reader by listening to audio books, and became an author for the first time at the tender age of 101 is nothing short of inspirational. The name of her book? What else? I'm Still Here – A book published by Montezuma Publishing, which is affiliated with San Diego State University.

“ I wrote it by talking into a little tape recorder. I talked into that little tape recorder for nine years...and I won Braille's highest honor, the Golden Cassette award."

Quite an accomplishment by anyone's standards...and for a feat that was more than 100-years in the making.... was worth the wait.

"The book has brought me great pleasure, and I stand as a model, I think, to show what an old person can do."

That can-do spirit is a common trait that centenarians, like Laura Simon share. The San Diego County Aging and Independent Services Department recently held a summit on aging and featured 4 centenarians. Laura Simon was one of them. The century panel did shed some light on how people who hit the century mark tend to view life.

I’m 100 and I’m doing this, anybody younger than me can do it too!

They talked about the need to be social, to connect with people, to learn.”

Each one of them has an amazing curiosity and I think that keeps them focused and energetic about life.”

Denise Nelesen, who is the communications manager for the agency that held the summit believes living to 100 may not be the ultimate goal for this group but their outlook on life seems to help get them there.

“I don’t think they really think all through their lives I’m going to make it to 100 that’s my goal. I don’t think that’s it. For them it’s I’m going to enjoy my days.”

It's been reported that the number of people who live to 100 or longer doubles about every ten years. Right now there are believed to be in the neighborhood of 80,000 centenarians in the U.S. The experts say by the year 2050 that number could reach 1.1 million.

The average life expectancy in the U.S. today is about 78 years.

There is a major study underway right now by Dr Thomas Perls---who is the founder and director of the New England Centenarian Study---widely acclaimed as the largest study of those living to 100 and beyond in the world.

His website, www.livingto100.com allows visitors to calculate their life expectancy.

He and his researchers have found that in many cases, people who live to 100 may have more than just good luck or good genes going for them. Though having a family history of longevity can increase your chances of living longer, most people who live to 100 tend to avoid major illnesses later in life, handle stress well, hadn't smoked, and very few are obese. He's also found that women who live to 100 or older outnumber men by a 5-to-1 margin.

Most centenarians are also healthy and independent well into their 90's. Something that Laura Simon believes has played a key role in her longevity.

“I have always lived independently and wish I could reach out to the seniors of the world to tell them – so that they can be in control of their own destiny. I have always worked, I have always studied. I have always been a writer, and a painter.”

Many believe in the years to come centenarians will be so much more common---we'll all be talking much more about the next group of super seniors---known as super centenarians---or those who live to be 110.

“We’re going to see them, we’ll probably see super, super centenarians, whenever that is going to be.”

But for now---we admire people like Laura Simon---who continues to live by the words she chose as the title of her book.

"I am still here---and I expect to be here for a long time. The world really can't get along without me (laughs).”