Nobody Told Grandma She’s Supposed To Slow Down
There comes a point in adulthood when you realize something deeply unfair.
You were promised that getting older meant slowing down.
More naps.
Fewer adventures.
A sensible bedtime.
Maybe a crossword puzzle or two.
And then you meet someone’s grandma.
Last week I saw a woman in her eighties learning pickleball.
Not watching pickleball.
Not cheering from the sidelines.
Learning it.
Meanwhile, I recently considered cancelling plans because I had to fold laundry.
Something isn’t adding up.
The truth is, a surprising number of seniors never got the memo that they’re supposed to slow down.
Take Carol.
At 69 years old, she decided to try table tennis after spending most of her life avoiding sports altogether.
Most people are thinking about retirement.
Carol was thinking, “Maybe I’ll become an athlete.”
Today she’s won more than 50 medals.
Fifty.
Then there’s Sharon.
At 79, she didn’t decide technology was too complicated.
She started posting videos online.
What began as sharing bits of wisdom turned into millions of followers and a whole new community. She now plans to get a bachelor’s degree in creative writing.
Imagine explaining that to someone in 1985.
“One day, strangers around the world will watch me give advice through a tiny rectangle in my hand.”
Seems unlikely.
Yet here we are.
And let’s talk about Nonna Fina.
At 79, she accidentally became an internet celebrity because her granddaughter started sharing her cooking videos online.
Millions of people now adore her recipes, opinions, and personality.
The internet adopted her as everyone’s grandmother.
Honestly, that’s probably the healthiest use of social media we’ve seen in years.
Then there’s Estine.
At her granddaughter’s wedding, the 79-year-old became the star of the dance floor and stayed there until 1:30 in the morning.
At 1:30 in the morning, I am usually negotiating with myself about whether brushing my teeth is worth the effort.
The point is this:
We’ve built a strange picture of what aging is supposed to look like.
We assume older people stop trying new things.
Stop learning.
Stop surprising us.
But real life keeps proving otherwise.
People are taking classes.
Starting businesses.
Learning technology.
Travelling.
Dancing.
Competing.
Making friends.
Building communities.
Trying things they’ve never done before.
Not because they’re exceptional.
Because they’re people.
And people don’t suddenly stop being curious when they collect enough birthdays.
So maybe the next time someone talks about “slowing down,” we should check with the grandmas first.
Something tells me they have other plans.
We’re all trying to keep up.
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