In the Ambies-nominated podcast, Max Linsky of Pineapple Street Studios interviews 70 remarkable people over (or, in one case, just under) the age of 70 to learn what only experience can teach. A sampling of some of his favorite responses:
Producer Norman Lear, 99; Episode 3
“I believe there are two little words that we don’t pay enough attention to. They are ‘over’ and ‘next.’ When something is over, it’s over, and we’re on to next. If there was a hammock in the middle of those two words, that would be the best description I could find of living in the moment.”
Actor André De Shields, 76; Episode 2
“We have convinced ourselves — and I know you’ve heard this many times — that life is short. I don’t buy into that. Life is long. It appears short because we are in a hurry to accumulate things. That is not the meaning of life. Life is for you to realize your purpose.”
Poet Nikki Giovanni, 77; Episode 9
“We are not 25. We are fortunate enough to be 77. … I recommend 77. And I recommend not thinking that my generation is the only generation that knows what to do.”
Activist Sister Helen Prejean, 82; Episode 1
“When you are hopeful, you are engaged — you put your hand on a rope and you start pulling your little part.”
Geriatrician and palliative care specialist Dr. Diane Meier; 69, Episode 30
“You can’t make someone have [a hard] conversation unless they’re ready and they want to. … If you push someone after they’ve said no, they will never trust you or listen to anything you say again.”
This story first appeared in the March 2 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
