Member-only story
Being Older Doesn’t Mean You’re Wiser
How we grow in wisdom at any age
My friend sold her house and moved into an expensive retirement community. She likes it okay because she doesn’t have to do yard work or cook her own food, but the things that annoy her most are the petty grievances of other residents.
“People complain about the most trivial things,” she said. “They have all kinds of entertainment provided for them, but they fuss about the TV in the lounge being too loud or about not having enough to do.”
My sister runs into much the same thing. She directs senior beauty pageants, which are pageants for contestants over sixty. She recruits contestants, arranges a venue, choreographs a program, and sells sponsorships.
One year she talked me into working backstage. For three hours I fastened necklaces, fetched water, and helped squeeze sixty-plus-year-olds into tight evening gowns, with the ever-present dread that I was going to break a zipper.
The women were as serious and nervous about this pageant as if they were going on a first date.
Even though pageants weren’t my thing, I thought it was a positive experience. Contestants worked toward a goal, met other people and stretched beyond their comfort zone. They didn’t let age stop them from entering a rigorous…
