A Facebook friend put up a snapshot of me attending a writer friend’s book signing. I had braved a dark and stormy night to get there so when I spied my picture on social media, I wrote, “It looks like Albert Einstein and I have the same hairdresser.” Yes, at my age, I can laugh. My days of being mistaken for Angelina Jolie are far in the past, if ever.
One of the joys of growing older is that vanity fades. My mother prepared me for the change by reminding me youth is fleeting but character endures. I am grateful for her advice. Today, as she approaches 101, she remains my role model. She moves with a walker and can’t remember what day of the week it is. Still, she embraces life and looks forward to our weekly outings with the joy of a lottery winner. Life has never given her many luxuries but she knows how to appreciate what she has.
Examples of people who know how to age well are common in AARP Magazine. In a recent edition, (Dec. 1016-Jan 2017) Norman Lear, 94, announces he is launching a new version of his television hit, One Day at a Time. A few pages later, Rita Moreno, 85, touts her starring role in that Lear revival. Another of my favorites, Vanessa Redgrave, has a birthday this month. At 80, she’s playing a mental patient in a new film, The Secret Scripture.
Courtesy of google.com
Being 80, myself, I appreciate the role models of my generation. They’ve given me the courage to think about breaking free from my publishers and representing myself. Age can make cowards of us all, an inclination we must fight. Never ask “Am I too old to face a new challenge?” The option to stay in place is a living death. So, with the encouragement of my friend, Susan Stoner, author of the Sage Adair mysteries, the latest being, The Mangle, I’ve decided to take the leap. With her as my guide, I know I am in good hands.
Hopefully, within the next few months, my books will appear with a new logo and at a reduced price. Please, send me good wishes as I begin my venture. Together, may we grow older and wiser.
