At 100 years old, Sonny Mohammed has seen the world change from the days of bison and carts to super-fast electric cars.
He saw T&T gain Independence in 1962 and later become a Republic in 1976. He would have been among the first citizens who were eligible to vote when adult suffrage was granted in 1946.
The father to eight children, Mohammed has lived a full life but he told Guardian Media Limited it was only when he retired in 1986 that he really began to enjoy his life.
He said he grew up very poor and struggled for most of his adult life.
“When I born, we were very, very poor people...if you didn’t get a job in estates, you get a job somebody give you, you get a little money from there, plant a little garden and you get something to eat from there and that is how I grow up,” Mohammed said during his 100th birthday celebration on Tuesday at his home in St Augustine.
Despite this, he is grateful to have persevered throughout the years and said since he resigned, his life has become much better as he no longer hurries to make a living.
“Since I resign in 86’ I start to see a little a good because I am not hurrying to make a living, whatever God giving me, I making it do, I don’t have no problem, since I getting a little pension,” Mohammed said.
Surrounded by his family, Mohammed smiled as relatives sang happy birthday.
Asked what he ate over the years to maintain good health, he said simple food, like bhagi and rice.
His mantra to remaining happy is also simple: treat others with kindness and it will be returned.
“You have to learn to live with people, you have to learn to live with people because what we are doing is this world here, the Almighty God send us here to live with everybody, not you alone,” he said.
He said he has maintained good relationships with his neighbours, allowing him to rest easy knowing they will look out for him at all times.