Build a book club and I will come!
I’m serious. I’m a writer, and writers like to be read. (Perhaps not all do — this is conjecture; I can’t think of any.) Even more, writers like to hear others talk about their work.
You don’t have to be part of an ongoing group to get me to come. It doesn’t have to be a book group at all. Any six or more kindred spirits will do — college friends, neighbors, Facebook buddies, a crafting group whose members also like books. The only requirement: Read The Wisdom Whisperers.
I will travel and be there in person (if possible) or I can Zoom in. Or, we can all be online.
“What’s in it for me?” you ask.
Below are three good reasons:
1. You will love the characters.
You’ll enjoy reading The Wisdom Whisperers. It is fun and informative; it will make you think. In its pages, you’ll meet nine incredible women, each one a “golden guide” who I was blessed to enjoy since I met my first in 1989, at age 46. Each woman, in her own way, was a scout, ahead of me on the path, sending back reports from the front. Here’s what Jeff Hamaoui, Co-Founder, Modern Elder Academy, said about them:
Blau’s book shares its wisdom with a deftness and style that is comfortable, authentic, and meaningful. Read this book. Meet these women. It is worth the ride.”
My greatest compliment from early readers and, now, strangers who leave reviews on Amazon, is that they really see and get to know the women. Some readers have favorites and, in turn, ask which ones I like best. As with any group of friends, I’m closer to a few — I know them longer, spend more time, have a stronger connection — but all of them helped me shift my perspective. Instead of dreading aging, I embrace it — and you will, too.
Their appeal is instant and infectious. Rosemary Blieszner, PhD, who is the Alumni Distinguished Professor Emerita of Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech, notes:
I wish I could visit with these ‘grandfriends’ and bask in their energy, enthusiasm, encouragement, and inspiration!”
Of course I asked each one the “secret” of aging. So different from one another, each one gave the same answer: luck
2. You will learn a surprising anti-ageism strategy.
Becca Levy at Yale found that people who don’t buy into ageist messages live, on average, seven years longer. Much to my surprise, my cadre of much older friends, helped me ignore the chorus of the culture. I lovingly (and subversively) call them “my old ladies” — and now, at 81, I’m among them and proud of it
We all have ageist beliefs that have crept into our consciousness since childhood. The only old lady in fairy tale was either a kindly but helpless grandma or an evil witch. By the time we hit 30 (sadly, sometimes earlier) we’re steeped in images of eternal youth, lured by the false promises of the Anti-Aging Industry. OLD becomes the enemy.
I didn’t foresee that hanging out with woman 90 and older would help me see aging as a gift, not something to dread. In their 90s and 100s, all were mindful of an expiration date, but they also were determined to make the most of whatever time they had left — or as 105-year-old Zelda put it:
“I’m going to squeeze every bit of the toothpaste out of the tube.
If don’t already have a good older person in your life, The Wisdom Whisperers just might inspire you to cultivate a relationship with an old man or an old lady — someone who is doing a good job of living, someone admirable, whom you learn from simply by being in his or her life.
3. You’ll want to discuss this book.
I am admittedly biased, but I’m not just speaking for myself. Early readers say The Wisdom Whisperers take you on a wonderful journey. No matter how old you are, you’ll see sights along the way you that weren’t necessarily planning to take in. You’ll sometimes be surprised, or perhaps angry, at what you see and learn about my old ladies as you join them on their lives’ journeys. You might also give more value to relationships in your own life, up and down the age ladder.
That’s how I know you’ll want to talk about it with others who’ve read it!
As for me, what writer doesn’t like seeing her words go out in the world? And what an extra, unpredictable gift to hear people’s responses, to learn what they see in the book. I always say that a book is like a Rorschach test: we each bring our unique selves to the images (words) and see what we see in them. Rohit Bhargava, promoter of Non-Obvious Ideas, saw a much bigger role for The Wisdom Whisperers than I imagined:
“In a disconnected world, Melinda offers a simple yet rarely considered solution: make friendships with much-older people. This book artfully suggests these unlikely bonds could cure generational loneliness, bridge cultural divides, and maybe even make the world a kinder place. Given many of us will be living in this world longer than ever, it’s hard to imagine a more urgently needed message.”
Now isn’t that a good reason to start reading, tell others about it, and reach out to me?
I recommend it to everyone !