GUIDEPOSTS: WHAT’S AGE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

By ANTOINETTE RAINONE
      
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote his first minuet at age 6. He wrote his first complete symphony at age 8. He composed 33 symphonies between the ages of 8 and 19 – representing over one half of the total number of symphonies he’d write during his lifetime.

       Grandma Moses painted her first painting at age 78. Up until then, she’d spent her adult life as a farmer’s wife, taking care of her children, feeding and watering the chickens, and making butter for extra money. After becoming one of America’s most influential “primitive” painters, she spent the next 23 years devoted to art. 

      Two artists. Two tales. Two opposite ends of the spectrum.

      Mozart found his wings early in life. Grandma Moses found her wings late.

      What’s age got to do with it anyway? The important thing is they discovered their life passions.

      My mother was 75 when she found her wings – literally. That’s the age she conquered her lifelong fear of flying and boarded a jet to Las Vegas. You can read an article, "Faith in Flight," I wrote about it in the December 2013 issue of Guideposts magazine, (www.guideposts.org)

     Not only did Mom conquer her fear – once she had a taste of the amazing feelings of flying at 35,000 feet and seeing the world from a totally different perspective – she embraced her new passion.

     “Where are we flying to next?” she’d ask me every time we got together.

     Ten months later, Mom boarded an 8-seat Cessna on a trip to Cape Cod.

     “You’re kidding!” Friends and family were flabbergasted. “YOUR Mom is going on THAT small propeller plane?”

     “Yep,” I said. “She’s an adventurer now.”

     Having recently celebrated my 50th birthday, I am embarking on my own new adventure – this blog. Here, I’ll be posting many tips on finding your wings. I hope you will stop by from time to time to share your own tips and experiences.  

• Have you found your wings? 
• Have you tried something new, something you’ve always wanted to do? 
• Have you embraced the things in life that bring you the most joy and fulfillment?

     It doesn’t matter how old – or young – you are. You just have to find that special spark within yourself and go with it.

     If I can make one more wish for my 50th, my wish is for this blog to become a community of “fellow flyers” – a place where people share their life passions – and encourage one another to find theirs along the way.

     The time is now. It’s never too late.

     Find your wings... at any age.