November 19, 2024
This post is part of my 30in30 challenge, where I write 30 minutes every day for 30 working days. Due to my limited time for this challenge, the content will be only very lightly researched and edited. The idea is to just write. Find my voice, and find the courage to publish. To follow my curiosity wherever it may take me.
I became a web developer in my late 30s. Starting from scratch in a new industry with no connections or relevant work experience felt daunting. Was I too late? How could I possibly catch up with people that started in their 20s? Who was I even kidding?
But I didn't have a choice. Once I had children, my existing career wouldn't cut it. Change was inevitable, whether I was ready for it or not.
But it was nerve-wracking.
There is plenty of praise for young, talented people who do fantastic work: found companies, create products, or produce breathtaking art. Mozart was 8 when he composed his first symphony. Mark Zuckerberg was 19 when he co-founded Facebook.
But not enough is said about those who achieve success later in life.
Show me someone older, turning their life upside down. Show me people going back to school, starting new careers, or accomplishing new things later in life.
These are the true heroes in my eyes.
Luckily, I didn't have to look hard to find people doing amazing work in their later years. Ground-breaking work that is not celebrated enough.
Mary Kenneth Keller (1913–1985) was a religious sister and an educator. She strongly advocated for women in computer science and encouraged other women to pursue careers in mathematics and technology. She was the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in Computer Science when she was 51.
Theodora Kroeber (1901–1993), the mother of Ursula K. Le Guin, was an anthropologist and psychologist who didn't start writing until her 50s, after her husband retired and her four children were grown. Her first book, The Inland Whale, was published when she was 62. At 64, she wrote Ishi in Two Worlds, an account of the last survivor of the Yahi tribe, which remains an anthropological treasure today.
Mary Somerville (1780–1872), known as the "Queen of Science," spent her life studying astronomy, mathematics, and physics. She was also a strong advocate for women in science. Mary was one of the first women to be elected as a member of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1835, despite societal norms that excluded women from scientific institutions at the time. Her most popular book, Physical Geography, the first English textbook on the subject, was published when she was 68 years old. Her last book, Molecular and Microscopic Science, came out when she was 89.
It is never too late.
If you are thinking about changing careers, building a product, or writing that book today, chances are you will still be thinking about it a year from now - and you will be a year older. You might as well start now.