Inspiring Women Over 70
Two modern-day role models lighting the path into old age.
Reading time: About 4 minutes.
When I started writing Petite Over 40, I was just starting to grasp the impact aging would have on my life. At 45 years old, I felt like I was becoming invisible. Shop workers and baristas looked past me to help the younger people behind me, even though I stood right in front of them. My hairdresser at the time told me I shouldn’t have bright pink hair because it wasn’t “age-appropriate.”
Petite Over 40 has always been a way to counterbalance the ageist messages I receive. That still holds, even today. Writing these posts and interacting with others who experience similar things helps me explore new ideas and learn how I want to grow old. I’ve met a lot of kindred spirits along the way; perhaps you are one of them.
My self-image, mental health, and style continue to evolve as I go through perimenopause and head toward my mid-fifties. Thanks to women like Betty Reid Soskin and Lyn Slater, mentioned below, many resources are available to help light the way. I share their stories in case you might find them helpful as well.
PBS’s Brief But Spectacular Take with Betty Reid Soskin.
Betty Reid Soskin retired at 100 as the oldest National Park Service ranger. She started that career when she was 85! At 101, she has a century of experiences to share.
As you might imagine, Betty has played many roles, accomplished many things, and discovered new pathways that enrich her life. In the video below, on PBS’s Brief But Spectacular series, she talks about finding herself through songs she wrote when she was younger. This part of her life is also featured in a documentary called Sign My Name to Freedom. It explores her hidden life as a singer/songwriter, a civil rights pioneer in California, and her journey to re-explore her music sixty years later.
This isn’t the only documentary Betty has inspired. No Time to Waste celebrates her life and mission to restore missing chapters of America’s story.
I don’t know if I want to live to be 101, but if I do, I hope I’m as clear-headed, energetic, and inspirational as Betty is.
From the Washington Post:
Your clothes no longer serve you. Now what?
When I first started blogging, Lyn Slater (@iconaccidental) was the maverick many bloggers, including myself, hoped to emulate. She was cool, interesting, stylish, and had a massive following—all this when she was pushing 70.
Over time, partly because of the pandemic, Lyn started questioning why she had become an influencer. The answers didn’t sit well with her. As a result, she made major life changes, leaving behind her life in New York City, along with the six-figure sponsored content she created on Instagram and the designer fashion she was gifted with. She went from wearing all-black ensembles to colorful shirts and overalls. And now she spends her time writing and hanging out with her grandkids.
Her book about aging just came out. It’s called How to Be Old: Lessons in Living Boldly from the Accidental Icon. It is on my to-be-read list.
If you have never heard of Lyn, or if you’ve always liked her but didn’t know what she was up to these days, this article from The Washington Post introduces her and her new mission. She continues to be an inspiration with this kind of philosophy, as quoted from the article:
Slater wants readers to know that this is an exciting process, not a mournful one. “I have all the ages I’ve ever been to draw upon [in] thinking about what I might want to wear or even what I might want to do now at this age,” she said. “That’s how I come to the conclusion that being older is an additive process, not a subtractive process the way that many people view it. It’s not about loss. It is a privilege.”
There are no affiliated links in this post. The book link takes you to my local bookstore, but if you don't live in Seattle, you should be able to find Lyn’s book in the library or at a bookstore near you.
I've been thinking about aging a lot lately, myself. I'd like to do it gracefully, but this is my first time around, so I'm learning as I go. I'll look into those two lovely women. I really could use good role models!