The Art of Not Quitting
At 71, I started closing the book on my career in professional education, a calling that shaped me, stretched me, and gave me purpose for decades. Most people would have called that “retirement.” I never liked that word. It sounded too much like stopping, and stopping has never fit into my plans.
So instead of slowing down, I shifted gears.
I finished a PhD program when many assumed I’d be riding off into the sunset. I underwent open‑heart surgery and came out of it with a deeper appreciation for time, how precious it is, how intentionally it should be used. And at 73, I picked up a paintbrush with no expectations other than joy and relaxation. What started as a personal exploration turned into something much bigger: commissions, invitations, and conversations with people who see something in my work that resonates with them.
This September, at 75, I’ll be sharing my artwork at an event in Thibodaux, Louisiana, the secondary land of my roots, in another unexpected turn in a journey that keeps surprising me. My paintings are now available internationally, something I never imagined when I dipped that first brush into paint.
If there’s a moral to my story, it’s simple: don’t quit. Life doesn’t always require a full stop; sometimes it just needs you to shift into another lane. Fulfillment isn’t tied to age, titles, or comfort. It’s tied to curiosity, courage, and the willingness to begin again, over and over if necessary.
And btw, someone else's opinion of you and your work is none of your business.
I’m living proof that reinventing yourself isn’t reserved for the young. It’s reserved for the willing.
