Actress offers advice on aging gracefully in ‘Changing Shoes’
Can shoes make a difference in your life? Author Tina Sloan explains how picking just the right pair made a difference for her in “Changing Shoes: Getting Older – NOT OLD – with Style, Humor and Grace.”
As an actress who went from playing a young woman all the way to a grandmother in a career that spanned nearly 30 years, Sloan had to learn many lessons (many the hard way) on how to accept the inevitable aging process with dignity and grace. And gracious and dignified she remains as she shares those lessons in her book.
Sloan starred as nurse Lillian Raines on the soap opera “Guiding Light,” until the show’s ending in 2009, and in her book she recounts how she went from being a central character to being put on the back burner storywise as she grew older.
It wasn’t until she decided to take control of her own circumstances that she was able to persuade the writers and producers of the show that older women had just as viable stories to tell as the younger gals. By tapping into that strength of character, Sloan proved herself right as she once again regained her popularity among the show’s mature fans with storylines to which they could relate.
In this part memoir/part advice book, Sloan shares the advice she was given by a mentor as a young girl wanting to embark on an acting career. After showing Tina how a great pair of shoes can make a difference in how a person acts and thinks of themselves, the grand old lady said “just remember to always make sure the shoes you wear are your own — that way they know where to take you.”
Sloan has carried that advice with her, and over the years it has been through many great pairs of shoes that she has learned many life lessons on growing older. Some of Sloan’s tips:
"Never compromise all of yourself. The truly great thing about women dating at our age is that, unlike in their younger days, most are not willing to compromise."
"Claim your feel good energy. I think, more than anything, feeling sexy and desirable is about energy. It's all about tapping that flirtatious instinct that all women have."
"Live in kindness and generosity. We need to be generous with the women following in our footsteps in the hope that they will be generous with us."
"Embrace change. Change often leads us somewhere interesting, whether we've looked for it or not."
Sloan shares her own stories, as well as those of friends and family, of maturing in a fast-paced world — experiences that include the pitfalls of trying to keep up with the younger crowd, the sadness of caring for elderly parents, the security of having great friendships and relationships and the joyous freedom of finally being old enough not to care what others think.
“Changing Shoes” is a charming, light-hearted, as well as eye-opening, look at the art of how women can age gracefully but still maintain their sense of individualism.
