Why the Shuck Not?

Jun 6

There comes a point in life when you stop asking “Why now?” and start asking, “Why not?”

That is where I am.

I am 70 years old this August, and I am starting again, but not from scratch. I modeled from the age of 12 until I was 22, and now I am stepping back into that world with something I did not have back then: a deeper sense of self.

This is not about becoming somebody new. It is about removing what was never necessary.

That is what editing means to me.

Not changing who I am. Not trying to be younger. Not trying to fit into someone else’s idea of what a woman my age should look like or do. It is about editing with intention.

Letting go of the doubt, the noise, the fear, the old expectations, and keeping what matters most.

There is something powerful about editing our life at this stage.

At this age, I do not feel older. I feel refined. I feel clearer. I feel stronger in my choices. I know what belongs in my life, and I know what does not. That kind of wisdom is not something you can fake. It is earned.

I have come to believe that editing your life is one of the boldest things a woman can do.

It is not about erasing your past. It is about honoring it while making room for what still wants to bloom

It is about living fully, not cautiously. It is about saying yes to the part of yourself that still feels curious, creative, visible, and alive.

I am not trying to edit anyone else’s life. I am still editing my own!

And part of the reason I am doing this is because of a very special person in my life,,,,

My friend and mentor Alix Mane with Mane and Company. Yes, Alix owns a salon, and yes, she does my hair, but she is so much more than that.

She is one of those rare women who builds people up. She has a gift for helping you feel better about yourself just by being around her. You leave her chair looking better as you would expect, but more than that, you leave feeling like a better version of yourself. More encouraged. More seen. More capable.

She has been one of the people helping me believe that this chapter is worth stepping into. The encouragement and guidance has helped give me the courage to say why not?

Sometimes all it takes is one person reminding you that you are not done yet.

There is a quote by Jane Fonda that speaks to me: “You can be really old at 60, and you can be really young at 85.”

I have embraced that.

Because age, to me, is not the headline.

Spirit is. Curiosity is. Courage is. Style is. Energy is. Purpose is.

This blog, and this new chapter, are not about going backward. They are about moving forward With intention. With beauty. With experience. With humor. With Gratitude. With boldness.

This is my edit

A modern woman, editing her life intentionally.

Not changing

Refining

Not disappearing

Showing up

Not shrinking

Expanding

So here I am