Each would recommend to us that we lean forward into life. When she would plan something and put it on her calendar, she could be counted on to say, “Well, that’s something to look forward to.”Īlthough Angelou and Paige said it just a bit differently, they and Tappy had it right. She was constantly looking for opportunities to stay engaged and interested. My late aunt, Ethel “Tappy” Harris, lived into her early 90s and maintained a great attitude toward life.
Their philosophies of life, as evidenced by their many insights, represent exactly the attitude we need as we age through retirement. I’m convinced that Paige, along with Angelou, should be considered the patron saints of retirees. He responded with a much more profound question of his own, “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you was?” Satch, who was a major league rookie in his early 40s and pitched for the Kansas City Athletics at age 60, answered the question, saying less about his age than about his general philosophy of life. Satchel Paige, perhaps the greatest Negro League and, arguably, the greatest any-league pitcher in baseball history, was once asked his age, a statistic that was frequently debated. If the phone rings, I won’t answer until I’m done.” It was like waking up to myself.”Īlthough this one is not necessarily about aging well per se, it is a great philosophy of life, “I love a Hebrew National hot dog with an ice-cold Corona – no lime. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
Do any of these quotations of hers resonate? Caged Bird Songs was released posthumously.Īngelou was an inspiration on so many levels, including helping us think about staying active and engaged while aging. And she was still stretching herself creatively-when she died, she was writing the lyrics and doing the vocals for an album of songs combining a number of genres, including hip-hop. Despite failing health, Angelou wrote four books during her final ten years, including her seventh autobiography, which was published in 2013. This great American poet, author, Pulitzer Prize nominee, and civil rights leader passed away in 2014 at the age of 86. Maya Angelou not only got it right for the rest of us, she practiced what she preached. Love it with a passion because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it.”
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