by Renee P. Aldrich
For New Pittsburgh Courier
Who exactly are the “late bloomers?” It is said they are persons or individuals who sometimes do not come to discover their passions and/or purpose until late in life. Or they are individuals whose accomplishments don’t begin to bear fruit until they are well into their 40s, 50s or 60s. They write their first book, move into the entertainment field, make a whole new career switch, or otherwise tap into dormant creativity.
There are numerous stories of individuals, even beyond 70, who found or developed skills they did not know they had and/or who even started businesses. This would include some top-rated celebrities who did not peak in their careers until beyond 40.
Morgan Freeman, who was 52 years old before his breakout role in “Driving Miss Daisy” jumpstarted his career, was one such celebrity. He has basically been on top in Hollywood ever since. And now at 89 years of age, he recently recorded his first blues album.
About 20 years ago or more, a local African American woman named Florence Burns lost her only son to suicide when she, herself, was 70 years of age. As a result, she began writing poetry to help assuage her intense grief. She had never written prior to that sad occurrence. She went on to not only continue writing poetry, but also published a book of poems, and became a highly sought-after performing artist speaking at colleges, at churches during Black History Month, and other special occasions.
It makes me wonder why the word “late” is used to describe these phenomena; perhaps it is not “late,” it just happens when it is time. And if the time for occurrence is in the 20s, 30s or 60s or 70s, perhaps that is when it was supposed to happen. If Mary Kay Ash had attempted to start her business before she was 60, and tired of seeing how poorly women were treated in corporate America, who knows if her capacity to take it to a $2 billion enterprise of which it became, changing the lives of thousands of women, would have ever happened. She was not late; her time to do it came when she was mentally, spiritually and emotionally ready.
The same for Harlan Sanders; could it be that by the time he was age 52, and after being rejected 1,009 times when seeking a financial partner to back his restaurant business, maybe by then he was “seasoned” enough to put the right “seasoning” together to create a pathway to his first “yes.” This allowed him to open the first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant that took off to become the household name (KFC) that made so many African Americans happy though the years.
The same goes for any seasoned citizen, whatever level of preparedness we need to be before we are to make a mark or realize an achievement; once we reach it, it will happen. And if the statement, “it’s never too late” is true, then I offer that we bloom when it is our time, and not before. And subsequently we can effectively operate in the space intended for us. And we are not late, but right on time for God to allow our gifts and efforts to impact ourselves, our families, our communities and the world.