On Friday I’m recording a podcast with a musician named Kristina Dervaitis who recently released her first album on her 46th birthday. She and her husband, Barry recorded the album in a home studio throughout the pandemic. Prior to this, Dervaitis worked full time as a gynaecologist. She still has a part-time practice in addition to recording music with Barry (who’s a retired pelvic-floor surgeon and has always played the drums).
Preparing for this interview got me thinking about the fact that there seems to come a point in life, often an age where people either feel or are told by others that it’s too late to make a change, to take on something new, to have new adventures. As someone hitting a milestone birthday this month I call bullshit on that.
Kathryn Joosten took up acting at the age of 42. She went on to costar in hit TV shows, including the West Wing, Desperate Housewives, and guest started on many others. She won two Emmy Awards for her part on Desperate Housewives. Prior to her acting career she was a psychiatric nurse.
The painter Anna Mary Robertson Moses (Grandma Moses) took up painting in her late 70s.
Olga Kotelko took up slow pitch softball when she was 70. She took up track and field at 77 and broke records for her age group in her 90s.
You may have already had a lot of birthdays, but thinking that you’re too old to try something new may be a big mistake.
Featured image courtesy of the Province of British Columbia under a CC-BY-NC-SA license.
