Flowers bloom. We can too. “Especially in our later years, when life is less complicated and we’re not forced to spread ourselves all over the place,” says Connie Goldman, author of “Secrets of Becoming a Late Bloomer” (Hazelden, 2000).
To Goldman, blooming means something very specific: Cultivating new and different passions and projects. “Once you get to a certain stage, you discover that there are parts of your life that you haven’t had time to develop. You also find that you have fewer limitations than you did in your younger years because your family is grown and you’re working fewer hours. … We’re taking better care of [our] health so we’re still able to be involved in things that take time and energy. Even if you don’t feel positive about growing older, you have all these opportunities available to you … so you can really fly.”
She has done so herself in recent years. She left her position as arts reporter for National Public Radio in Washington D.C. 20 years ago, and today, at 73, is based outside Minneapolis and specializes in issues on aging. She produces radio shows, writes books and speaks on the topic.
And at this stage of life, “pay isn’t often a motivating factor in this process. We’re looking for a different kind of reward, satisfaction and personal experience.”
