For Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Seven or Part Eight...make your choice. :-)
Elder Sill's talk, "Great Experiences", continues on to talk about rebirth, which leads into the concept of repentance. Next he says:
The Quote
"In 1932, Walter Pitkin wrote his book Life Begins at Forty, but that is ridiculous. Life begins every morning."
The Search for Walter Pitkin ... or is THIS Walter Pitkin???
I got a little confused when I went looking for Walter Pitkin, until I realized there was a Walter Sr. and a Walter Jr. who were both writers. The quote originates from Walter Sr., who was a professor at Columbia University, and is the husband of my eighth cousin once removed. Makes them both relatives, then.
Cool!
His book, "Life Begins at Forty", published in 1932, popularized that title as a catchphrase that I remember growing up with. It was a self-help book that gave rise to the idea that the second half of your life could be just as good or better than the first half if you go into it with a positive outlook.
Definitely interested in the chapter that begs the question, "Does Women's Life Begin at Forty?"
I sure hope so.
Generally I agree with that sentiment of positive thinking as we age, but I also agree with Elder Sill in that every day can be a new beginning anytime we decide to make a positive change. Jesus Christ makes that renewal possible for me every day, and I'm so grateful for it. :-)
On an interesting note, his son, Walter Pitkin, Jr., obviously had his father in mind, and obviously expected to live longer than dear old Dad, when he wrote his book, "Life Begins at Fifty" in 1965. Didn't quite take off in the public mind the way Dad's book did, but I personally appreciate the sentiment.
Walter Jr. also seems to have a little more sense of humor than Dad did. I absolutely have to read the chapter entitled, "How to Sweat Out an Adequate Retirement Income Without Playing the Ponies."
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