ABSTRACT
We all have people we look up to, men and women from whom we learn how to go about this business of living. Some are mentors or teachers; others are friends or family members. There are no awards given for Outstanding Old Person, but that’s the role that deserves your attention as you advance in age yourself. Case examples illustrate how an older person’s approach to life or personality might influence your own scenario for aging wisely. Themes include a role model’s curiosity about the world and sustained engagement with it, capacity for change, sense of humor, absence of self-pity. Most of the qualities we admire in these women and men are grounded in their realistic attitude about this time of life.
