46. A curious centenarian role model
At 86 I’m hungry for role models who show me how they manage life in their 90s. Rachelle Calkoen may be 102 but she is more engaged with the world, more curious than many people half her age. I hope you get as much joy from her story as I do. If so, please tell a friend about this podcast so they can also be inspired.
Today I’m learning how to be old from someone with a track record: the fabulous Rachelle Calkoen. She was born in 1923, in Holland.
I interviewed her four years ago, for my play, The Secret Lives of Extremely Old People, when she was only 98. The other day I was having a cup of tea with her and she kindly gave me permission to use part of that conversation for this podcast. Coming up shortly.
She said very little had changed for her since then, and she certainly looks the same (wonderful) and her voice sounds the same (musical). She still has the same problems: words — she can FEEL them in her mouth, but they won’t come out; and the same pleasures: birds and people and books and clocks and life itself.
She’s 102, with a mind and heart wide open. She is curious! She’s up for new stuff! Some things annoy her but I don’t think anything bores her. Anyway we can never BE her but that’s what I’m learning from her: to crank up that curiosity engine.
An extremely long life is inevitably interesting. We learn something of her childhood in Holland followed by the horrors of the German occupation. Her university year in Geneva under Professor Jean Piaget and idealistic early career. Her marriage and emigration to New Zealand 75 years ago.
But I’m especially interested in her personal experience of life as an extremely old woman, because she is my curious centenarian role model.
- A centenarian’s practical advice (A sturdy centenarian)
- ‘Keep your eyes open – and leap into the future’: 100 centenarians’ 100 tips for a life well lived (The Guardian)
Love this! (OMG just read the message below: “This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.” I’ll opt not to … so shall continue …) In the early 1970’s I participated in a Prof. Reuven Feurerstein Learnng Potential conference, held at the Shoresh kibutz in Israel. My room mate was the wife of the professor who replaced Jean Piaget. She was beset with nausea, whilst I snapped my achilles tendon whilst side galloping with a Parisian stranger during the conference dinner. What an uncomfortable memory!!
What a coincidence, too! Piaget was well-loved as well as a brilliant thinker, so when Rachelle paused to recall his name I could supply it — a triumphant moment for me, just quietly 🙂 So glad you enjoyed meeting this marvelous woman.