Age Like a Badass

Do not go gentle into that good night

Photo by Robson Hatsukami Morgan on Unsplash

Watching Tina, the Tina Turner documentary, reminded me of Tina's strength and how no matter how much people tried to keep her down and dim her light, Tina persevered.

Until later in life, Tina didn't get things like love and success, which most people seem to associate with youth. She was forty-five when her solo album, Private Dancer, came out and turned her career around, and when she was sixty-nine, she had her Tina! 50th Anniversary Tour, one of the highest-grossing tours of all time, and retired when the tour was over.

Tina didn't listen when people told her she was too old to have a solo recording career or that her time for drawing large crowds was over — she ignored the naysayers and did her own thing.

Aging like a badass isn't exclusively about showing the world that older people can do anything they want; it's about doing what you want, even if it's low-key enjoyment of the simple life.

A badass defies those who try to keep them down and say things like, "Why are you doing that at your age?"

Everyone ages in their way and at their own pace. Who cares if people disapprove of how you mature?

Every Age Has Its Gifts

The definition of a "late-bloomer" is someone who becomes successful or has their talents and capabilities recognized later.

There's no definitive age for a late-bloomer — you could be fourteen or eighty -four.

Late-blooming doesn't mean that you didn't have those talents before; it recognizes that it can take time for things to develop and for you to focus your attention on them. It's about being secure enough in one's skin to be able to pursue your gifts and potential fully.

Tina could always sing, always had an amazing stage presence, and could dance like nobody's business. People knew she was talented, but she was tied to Ike, which prevented her from soaring.