On a random drive to upstate NY in a random General Store I found James B. Flahertys’ book ‘Dear Old Friends’ – A Loving Reminder the Band Won’t Stop Playing Till You Stop Dancing.’
The cover of the new book sitting on the very old wooden table pulled me in and I quickly read the first few pages. Jim’s words leaped out and hit me in the eye like a bigga pizza pie!
I especially loved catching quickly he wrote the book when he was 42 and it took him 45 years to publish it! (My kinda procrastinator!)
Talk about SPIRIT! I wanted to be friends with this guy!
“Jim” is now 87 1/2 years young, and I could sense from his writing he’s an endless fountain of energy, wisdom and fun! I bought the book from Sharon the General Store owner in Wassaic, N.Y. who knew Jim and suggested my boyfriend Dave and I take a little drive up the mountain and go see the Inn Jim built back when.
Sharon said it was a beautiful drive to ‘Troutbeck’ which she showed us basic directions to on her map in the store. We had never heard of the place and of course I was quickly googling it as soon as we got back in the car to put the address in my Waze.
OMG. We pulled up to paradise.
We parked and walked up to the Inn passing people in hammocks resting in the breeze. Saw the smoke of an outdoor fire pit calling and found our way inside to have a glass of wine in the classiest calmest most incredibly designed venue.
(Although my personal calm was soon interrupted when my always calm boyfriend accidentally spilled red wine all over my new favorite light pink jacket and destroyed it. I yelled at it to shout it out to no avail. Sooo typical, as was my spending 20 minutes in their lovely lobby bathroom after discovering my tiny vial of hair smoothing oil opened inside my weekend purse and coated everything. Smooth, eh?)
Anyway … I read Jim’s book in one day, loved his good energy that exploded through his writing and wanted to know more about him. I wrote him (he asks people to do that in his book if they want to) and asked him for ‘the next dance’ I invited him to join me on The Debbie Nigro Show…to talk.
I was talking about great ‘spirits’ on my show all this week and well, James B. Flaherty just fit in!
“Dear Old Friends will remind you that you don’t stop playing because you got old–you got old because you stopped playing. Besides a Happy Memoir from an author who wrote this book at age 44 and 85–yes, that’s correct–it’s full of loving advice for aging magnificently. You’ll want to read it and want all your Dear Old Friends–not just your parents, to read and laugh and learn and think about how satisfying it is to be someone’s Dear Old Friend. XO, Jim
I think we all come to know at a certain point in life where we realize that ‘Dear Old Friends’ are golden and truly the meaning of life.
Wisdom only comes with age and time and that wisdom is to be shared. Jim shares more wisdom in his more recent book about getting older called ‘Embrace Your Age’ where under his name on the bottom of the cover he adds, “An optimistic octogenarian with a bright future”.
So, here’s some more of Jim’s wisdom.
“You want to hear pure truth? You’re only as old as you think. I know what I’m talking about. I’m 87 this year—going on 60. Life is full of promise. Every day is a miracle. Join me.”
“Having a purpose is fundamental to health, happiness & longevity. A brilliant scholar named Richard Leider, said, “Purpose is an active expression of our values and our compassion for others—it makes us want to get up in the morning and add value to the world.”
Jim’s Background: Besides an award-winning career as an advertising writer/creative director in NYC and Buenos Aires with clients like FORD, Pan Am, Kodak, Lever Brother and more, Jim who admits he had no idea what he was doing, built ‘Troutbeck’ in Amenia, NY from a pile of stones and then spent decades as Owner & Innkeeper of this multi-star country inn/conference center. It was taken over by new owners only a few years ago and Jim loves how they’ve enhanced it. Jim also published two novels and now happily lives in an art-filled converted barn nearby with an interior pool and two adoring pooches. Father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, he’s a popular mentor and storyteller, and believes Work is much more fun than fun. He’s 86! He sings in his church choir.
Jim’s a writer who knows how to make money writing and he’s hoping some big kahuna will partner with him to help turn his novels to a film for the big screen or into a winning streaming series. You can read more about Jim at jamesbflaherty.com. Or say hello to him like I did at talktome@jamesbflaherty.com.
I hope you enjoy the podcast of my live conversation with 87 ½ years young James. B. Flaherty on The Debbie Nigro Show as much as I did. Should make you realize… the band won’t stop playing till you stop dancing.
