Starting Over 4

 These stories of seniors who have reinvented themselves, illustrate that it's never too late to pursue new passions or careers. Each individual faced unique challenges and motivations but found renewed purpose and satisfaction in their later years. So, you have to wonder what about baby boomers makes them want to start new careers late in life over the next few posts I will highlight some seniors who have made the leap, next up Barbara Beskind – From Occupational Therapist to Inventor

There’s something extraordinary happening in today’s retirement landscape. More and more people, especially baby boomers, are rewriting the script on what it means to grow older. For some, retirement isn't an end, it's a launch pad. A chance to do something new, bold, and deeply personal.

Barbara Beskind is a shining example.

For over four decades, Barbara worked as an occupational therapist, helping others live more independently and comfortably. It was meaningful work. But quietly, since childhood, Barbara had harbored another dream, a dream to become an inventor. Back in the 1930s, she wrote to engineering schools looking for guidance. But as a young woman in a male-dominated field, she was told to pursue home economics instead.

Still, she didn’t let go of her vision. She filed for patents on her own. She tinkered. She watched. She learned. And decades later, at the age of 89, she took a chance that changed everything.

Barbara wrote to IDEO, a prestigious design and innovation firm, after seeing a segment about their work on TV. She told them she wanted in, and they said yes. Suddenly, at nearly 90, Barbara became a designer at one of the most forward-thinking companies in the world.

Her focus? Helping other older adults. Drawing on her own experiences with aging and her decades as a therapist, she contributed to the design of practical, empathetic products, canes that stand up on their own, glasses that don’t slip, solutions that reflect real human needs. She brought a perspective few others could match, and she did it with humor, humility, and passion.

Why is Barbara happy now? Because she’s finally living the life she imagined as a child, on her terms, in her time. She is proof that dreams don’t expire and that our best contributions can come not in spite of age, but because of it.

Barbara’s story isn’t just remarkable, it’s a reminder. A reminder that reinvention can happen at any age, and that the courage to start anew doesn’t fade with time. It grows, deepens, and finds purpose.

So, whether you’re 55 or 85, take Barbara’s cue: it’s never too late to design a life that fits. Source:  Source: Wikepedia