Are YOU Too Young To Get Old
Roaring an’ dancing, and boating, fishing, painting, clubbing, Internet prowling… So who wants to join the hot new 90s Club?
Show of hands here, folks.
Oops, small detail. To qualify you must have been born before 1916.
Their founder was, and still enjoys life more than most 30 year olds. Sprightly 92 year old Mae Noah-Steckman outgrew the International, “Red Hat Society, those kids check in at 55,” she exclaims as her bow mouth curls up beneath merry sapphire-eyes.
She dresses like Britney Spears with a few extra yards of fabric.
She makes delightful, Pouty Dolls so realistic people believed they actually adopted them. These little darlings are adorned in clothing live children once wore to pre-school. She has sold 160 dolls. Her fabricated kids reside in a dozen different states, two ‘o them ‘er now Limeys in jolly ol’ England.
Mae took up art, became a painter at age 78, her works made a grand show at Great Bend in 2005.
As an officer at the local Senior Citizens, she finally termed out. Needing more to keep busy in her Saint John, Kansas hometown of 1500 residents Mae joined the techie gang on the Internet. It was a struggle. Their only web provider was a small outfit that often shut down.
There’s no stopping Ms. Noah though, she has since hooked up with a major player, and roams the world at will. This global traveler invites anybody and everybody interested in her 90s Club or in developing their own, to join in the fun by dropping her an email: grannyboss@earthlink.com
These flapper lads and lasses already have two satellite Charter clubs in other towns as well as members in far more distant areas of the planet. “All are welcome,” Mae says. “Our goal is to have fun. We haven’t stopped learning. We have a lot to share. And to learn from youngsters who are also learning and have a lot to share.”
She cites a ‘shovel spoon’ as an example. The latest in upscale, modern flat ware are spoons which don’t require tipping to get out of the mouth without dragging against the upper lip. Mae has one from her childhood, it even has the currently trendy curled non-slip grip handle. Her greater delight is describing her first home. “We got some interesting lives among our members but so far I’m the ‘Only One’ born in a sod house.”
She’s one up on most of us, show of hands again, who ever saw a sod house?
90s members do spread their motto far and wide, often displaying their statement on purses, bags, belts, canes, walkers, golf carts, wheelchairs. They wear it proudly on their buttons. They laugh with glee when reciting it.
Research indicates they’re quite remarkable, England has the same buildings except they term them cob houses. Some have survived fire, floods, earthquakes, all manner of weather disasters, for over 800 years. Seems Ms. Noah and her crowd of quippers know more about the future and history than a lot of us middle agers.
Simply put, the letters could become an excellent Mantra for all of is, “I’m too young to be this old!”
Mae’s future plans? She’s dwelling on Internet growth direction of the 90s Club and rightfully so. 94% of wired Seniors send email compared to 91% of all Internet Users.
Below cyberspace on the flat planet, 90s are also setting new goals. One plan already in the hopper is to spread ever more delight among Seniors inviting them to come one, come all, by guesting on a late night TV talk show.
This causes some to wonder, why late night, Oprah, where are you….
© 2006 Strasbaugh
Stats are Courtesy of Pew Internet Project
