Old is as old does

I'm old and I'm tired, but I'm not dead.

I was talking to a 28 year old today who told me he was too old to change careers now. I really hope he was kidding. I was older than that and had been a nurse for 10 years when I went back to school to get a degree in mathematics. (Honestly, most people thought I was crazy, and truthfully, some still do, but it's not because I majored in statistics.)

He said he never heard of Grandma Moses. That prompted me to write this blog entry. You may never be what you want to be, but you can be what you are even when you're as old as me and the others mentioned here (who, by the way, were even older than I am now when they changed careers.)

Anna Mary Robertson Moses, aka Grandma Moses, was way old (in her late 70's) when she developed a new style of painting. You may never have heard of her either, but she is considered one of the most important self-taught artists of the 20th century and was popular throughout Europe and Japan as well as America. It would cost you over a $100 to buy one of her less expensive art prints at a gallery today (not an original, but a print).

I know you've heard of Colonel Harland Sanders. Sanders was collecting Social Security before he created the Kentucky Fried Chicken chain. Today, he's an international icon. (By the way, you can buy a bucket of his chicken for about $10, less with a coupon.)

Remember Ronald Reagan? After 28 years as a sportscaster and actor, he became Governor of California and was elected President of the United States after his 69th birthday - twice .

Peg Phillips was a 65 year old retired accountant when she enrolled in the University of Washington Drama School. While a freshman, she landed a recurring role as the shop keeper Ruth-Anne on TV's Northern Exposure and continued to act in television, commercials, and movies after the show ended.

Do you still think you're too old to change careers? Honey, don't ever get that old.

A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams. ~John Barrymore