Hissy Fit - September 2026 - Relevance Is Ageless

September 2026 Issue
by Elizabeth Skenes Millen

I was walking into Lowe’s when I noticed a nice-looking, well-put-together, older woman—probably mid-70s— getting out of her car. I said hello while instinctively looking at her beautiful luxury car. I noticed her license plate—the letters were FAQ followed by three numbers. It wasn’t a vanity plate, just standard issue. I said, “Your license plate—frequently asked questions!” It took her a second to comprehend what I was saying, but she got it.

“Except no one asks me any questions anymore,” she said.

Then it was my turn to comprehend the fullness of what she said. Having a mother who is 95 years old, it didn’t take me long to understand the implications of the comment. She felt she had aged into obscurity.

A month later, I was reading the new novel by Sally Hepworth, Mad Mabel, when the topic arose again. In fact, the theme of the book opens with Elsie, formerly known as Mad Mabel, at 81 years old stating: “Little girls and old ladies are the two types of people society never suspects of murder.” She highlights this observation because elderly women are essentially faded into the background or treated as invisible. She claims nobody pays close enough attention to notice what older women are truly capable of—good or bad. This theme swirls throughout the book and is proven wrong as we learn Elsie’s story from childhood to modern day. Mad Mabel is one to be reckoned with; she is a feisty, cantankerous, whip-smart woman who is unforgettable.

But perhaps she is correct that American society, and maybe the whole world over, has a put-them-out-to-pasture attitude toward elderly ladies, thinking they have nothing left to offer, when they are the ones who got us to where we are today.

I see this with my mother. She was a nurse, and yet when she goes to the doctor, she is treated as if she has no idea what’s going on with her own body. The medical professional will ask me a question instead of her. I just look at Mom and tell her to answer them. And she does. But they still insist on asking me or my sister the questions.

I wonder how old one has to be to start being ignored and deemed irrelevant?

I find this a tragic societal generalization. When did society decide our elders were disposable? And more importantly, why?

There are many women who have done great things at older ages. Mary Kay Ash did not start the Mary Kay empire until age 45; Julia Child appeared on television for the first time at age 51 and didn’t even learn to cook until nearly 40 years old. Mary Rawles, a retired schoolteacher, focused heavily on her health during her 60s, recognizing the very thing this article is about—older adults feel lonely, stationary, and bored. Ironically, Mary noticed the traditional fitness market largely ignored older demographics. So, she started an online workout and weight loss business at 73—Fit for the Rest of Your Life. Finally, Grandma Moses achieved international fame and a prolific legacy as one of the most important folk artists in the world. She sold her first painting at age 77 and was on the cover of Time Magazine at 93. She painted until a few months before she died at age 101. Her most expensive painting sold for 1.36 million dollars in 2006 at Christie’s New York.

This is just a handful of known women who dare society to deem them irrelevant. I’m pointing them out not because their successes make them better or more relevant than other women, but because they are examples of what can be done regardless of age. We are all relevant in some way, even if Google doesn’t have our life history catalogued in its search engine.

There is actual data tracked by institutions like the Forbes 50 Over 50 Index that points out starting a business in your 60s offers key advantages:

Financial Freedom: Many post-60 entrepreneurs use standard retirement income as a safety net, allowing them to scale organically without heavy debt.

Pure Ambition: Unlike younger founders driven by raw survival or corporate climbing, twice as many older women report starting a business purely to fulfill a lifelong dream.

Higher Success Rate: Entrepreneurs age 60+ are three times more likely to succeed than younger founders due to superior pattern recognition, established industry expertise, and freedom from pressure to conform. This really is the age when you can bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan…just the way you like it!

So, here’s to Ms. Frequently Asked Questions who I encountered at Lowe’s: You are relevant, and I have lots of questions for you! Your comment was the catalyst for this column I chose to write and share with readers so they can start thinking about to whom they want to ask more questions.

And what would those questions be? The same things you ask any woman, regardless of age. My mother has told me numerous times that she looks in the mirror and can’t believe the face looking back at her because on the inside, she feels the same. I feel the same way; I think everyone does. Our bodies age, but who we are just gets better and better.

Life is exciting when you learn something new every day, and who better to learn from than a wise woman? Now, go embrace an older woman and start having great conversations. And be prepared to learn something new!