Serenity at 70, Gaiety at 80: Why You Should Keep On Getting Older

Serenity at 70, Gaiety at 80: Why You Should Keep On Getting Older by Garrison Keillor. paperback edition. ISBN: 9781733074575.

A book from Garrison Keillor, a man nearing age 80, on leaning into the beauty of getting old. “My life is so good at 79 I wonder why I waited this long to get here,” he writes. You learn that Less Is More, the great lesson of Jesus and also Buddha. Each day becomes important after you pass the point of life expectancy. Big problems vanish, small things make you happy. And the worst is behind you because you lack the energy to be as foolish as you might otherwise be. Including 23 rules for aging, including “Enumerate your benefits,” “Enjoy inertia,” “Get out of the way,” “Don’t fight with younger people; they will be writing your obituary,” and finally, “Ignore rules you read in a book. Do what you were going to do anyway.” Readers are sure to chuckle at the wisdom and humor contained in this short, full-color volume, which includes as supplementary material both photos from Garrison’s life as well as fine art.