It’s Never too Late to Be What You Might Have Been

admin — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

The title of this book is drawn from an adage that is sometimes lost on the young. Youth is often painted as an open road with endless paths leading to infinite dreams. The challenge that we face as we get older is maintaining the attitude that life still holds an abundance of opportunities and that we are up to the task of conquering them. Contrary to what society tells us, BJ Gallagher's It's Never too Late to Be What You Might Have Been proclaims that reinvention is not just for those without lines on their faces or traces of gray sprouting from their scalps.

In this volume, Gallagher offers a collection of inspirational anecdotes that touch on a variety of arenas where we might dream of starting over: careers, education, health, finances and love. The author maintains that in all of these areas, we are never too old to either fulfill old dreams or pursue new interests, and she provides a series of interviews as proof. Among her subjects are Elgene Doinidis, a woman who decided to learn how to fly in her middle age; Arnold and Raine Chanin, who became avid hikers in their sixties; and Gary Gwilliams, who ended a marriage after twenty years and then stumbled upon his soul mate.

In these stories about starting over and second chances, Gallagher does not dig deep. She does not offer a step-by-step guide or any kind of action plan for following one's heart. It seems that her sole point is to say that no matter who you are or where you are in life, you can still take risks and pursue your goals. While It's Never too Late to Be What You Might Have Been is an ultra-light, fluffy read bordering on advertorial by including the URLs for its interviewees' commercial web sites, it serves the purpose of patting the reader on the back and whispering in their ear, "Yes, you can do this, too!"

Written by: Beverly Jenkins-Crockett, November 25th 2009