It’s Never Too Late- Marcello Recommends: “Roctogenarians” by Mo Rocca & Jonathan Greenberg
The subtitle for Roctogenarians sums it up well since the book is chock full of “Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs.” It was part history lesson and part pop culture nostalgia. Everyone from Harland “Colonel” Sanders, Morgan Freeman, Jack LaLanne, Ruth Slenscynska, Diana Nyad, Brian May, and Mylie Evers-Williams to Jimmy Carter, Harry DeLeyler, Warren Buffet, Jane Goodal, and Clara Peller… (The “Where’s The Beef!?” actress who hit it big at 81 years old) got a few pages so the reader could learn about their extraordinary journeys.
Spoiler Alert: Basically, 80 is the new 60.
If you think you’re past your prime just because the gray hairs took over, don’t fret… there’s hope! (And there’s Garnier Nutrisse once a month which I can vouch for.) If you think just because you had an injury or personal setback that tasting victory once again is beyond your capabilities, you’ve grossly underestimated yourself.
Here are a few of my favorite excerpts:
“According to renowned geriatrician Louise Aronson, ‘We’ve added a couple of decades onto our lives and we haven’t socio-culturally figured out how to handle that.’ Today, turning 100 is no big deal. The big question is what to do with all that extra time.”
“Lord Byron wrote, ‘Years steel fire from the mind, vigor from the limb and life’s enchanted cup, but sparkles near the brim.’ Bullshit. Whoever said that has clearly not watched the 40+ films Morgan Freeman has made since he exploded onto the scene in 1989 at the age of 52. Sure, at times, he’s played God, he’s been the voice of God, or he’s chauffeured around a woman older than God. But that overlooks the sexiest and most fun part of Morgan. Movie after movie this AARP member has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that he can kick some serious ass.”
“If you accept the aging process and live in the present, then you age gracefully. She said once, ‘I think I have an interesting face, but I think it’s the ensemble of the face, the body, and the attitude that makes me what I am.’” – Sophia Loren
”In his farewell address to the nation, Jimmy Carter noted, ‘I will lay down my official responsibilities in this office to take up once more, the only title in our democracy superior to president, the title of citizen.’ And in the 4+ decades since then, Jimmy Carter has proven to be an extraordinary citizen. He established the Carter Center, an institution dedicated to conflict resolution and public health. He’s worked with Habitat for Humanity to build thousands of houses. For his tireless efforts to promote democracy and human rights, he won the Nobel peace prize in 2002. And he taught Sunday school.”
“Toward the end of her life, Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Cliquot summed up her acquired wisdom in a letter to a great granddaughter. ‘The world is in perpetual motion, and we must invent the things of tomorrow.’ she wrote. ‘One must go before others, be determined and exacting, and let your intelligence direct your life. Act with audacity.’
“In his 90s, Jack LaLanne would start his day with two hours of exercise (one hour of weight training and one hour in the pool). When he died, at 96, he was celebrated as the founding father of Fitness. In his eulogy, Arnold Schwarzenegger envisioned what was happening in heaven with the newest arrival. His friend Jack, he said, ‘has already told old St. Peter that the wake-up call is going to be at six in the morning. And there will be thousands of push-ups.’… ‘Older people don’t feel old unless they are told they’re old,’ LaLanne said. ‘I can’t say that a 96 year old man can look like a 16-year-old boy. But with good eating habits, a good exercise program, and a good attitude, he’ll be the sexiest, healthiest, 96 year-old around, and isn’t that what counts?’”
“In 1979, twenty years after his feats with Snowman, Harry Deleyer won the national horse show in his division again. He was 52 when he earned his third and final blue ribbon in the open jumper class. Even after that, the galloping grandfather continued to thrive on competition. At 77 he suffered a serious fall from his hayloft and broke his back. With a steel rod in place he made a recovery and at 81 competed in the Washington international horse show. Harry passed away at the age of 93 a legend in jumping circles fame for his own abilities as a writer, trainer, and teacher, but above all for the unexpected champion he bought at auction some 65 years before.”
“Today, Eddie Goldfarb has 800 toys to his name. KerPlunk, Bubble Guns, Stompers, and Spin-Art are all his brain children. At 102, Goldfarb continues to invent, delighting in coming up with toys that will keep children of all ages entertained. As he told CBS Sunday morning in 2023, ‘I believe if you do creative work of any kind, if you start with nothing and end with something, it stimulates your brain, and I think that’s very good for your body.’”
“There are lessons in Diana Nyad’s story for any woman, any person, who is navigating uncharted waters. Lessons about the power of taking risks and refusing to be defined by failure. Lessons about the incredible strength each of us possesses, even those of us who aren’t world class athletes. Lessons not just about sports, but about life, about the importance of not simply trying to reach the finish line, but learning to enjoy the journey, with all its disappointments, setbacks, and suffering,” -Hilary Clinton
“Brian May has no regrets for having chosen the path of rock star rather than astronomer. ‘I’m sure it was the right decision,’ he says. ‘I think you have to go where your heart tells you.’ During a commencement address at the University of Exeter, May mentioned that ‘as old guys, none of us can resist giving a little advice.’ And what he told the graduates is worth repeating, since it speaks to both the wisdom of recognizing that life will always be beyond our control and the risks one takes and trying to something new. ‘It seems to me the secret is to always just play the cards that are in your hand to the best of your ability, accept what comes to you, find joy and what comes to you, and make it into something great. I have to say that most of the things in life are very scary, and this is included.’”
“Now, let’s take a moment to acknowledge those luminaries who, at the 11th hour, could taste victory – really just had to do nothing to secure their place in history – but for some godforsaken reason decided to self-destruct. Rudy Giuliani had controversies as mayor of New York City- but by most measures, he left the city in much better shape – certainly safer – than he found it. When Time magazine named him person of the year in 2001, it was for his leadership after the devastating terrorist attacks of 911. His legacy as ‘America’s mayor’ seemed cemented. … The former prosecutor who once brought down the mafia now faces disbarment.”
“Hopefully, by this point in the book, we’ve convinced you that whatever your age, it’s not too late to learn a new hobby, write a first book, or maybe even win a Nobel prize. But if you’re aiming even higher and hoping to become a better human being, then look no further than Ebeneezer Scrooge, the famous miser at the center of Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic, a Christmas Carol. Ebeneezer, though a fictional character, became a better person before it was too late. The question that bedeviled Scrooge that fateful night before Christmas is a question that surely everyone asks if they live long enough… ‘How will they remember me after I am gone?’”
To order your copy of Octogenarians, click here.
Cheers, -m