I think we have all been through phase(s) in life where we regretfully tell ourselves that it is too late to live and realize a dream we once cherished. But sometimes we come across people who show us a different reality, a more inspiring and better perspective towards life. Barbara Beskind is a 91 year woman who is finally living her dream of being a tech designer in the prestigious Silicon Valley and by doing so has showed the world how it is never too late to make a dream come true.
Following an episode of 60 minutes where CEO of IDEO ( a firm most popularly known for designing Apple’s first mouse) was invited to speak on staff diversity, Beskind took the bold initiative to apply to the firm and got hired within a matter of days.
From a very young age Beskind was into designing and inventing stuff. However, women weren’t eligible for engineering degrees in her youth and she ended up enrolling in the army which she served for approximately 44 years. Today, as part of her work at IDEO, Beskind works towards developing products and solutions tailored for the aging population. These include eyeglasses equipped with cameras that allow people to remember names and wearable airbags. Her presence at work has not only helped staff break age-related stereotypes but is also something the whole workplace looks forward to every day.
IDEO Associate, Gretchen Addi told local media, “Our culture is telling us aging equals decline. And Barbara (Beskind) is very solidly standing there and saying, you know “I am gonna call you on that.”
Along with challenging the popularly held opinion that age is restrictive, Beskind has so much more wisdom to offer. “I have no cell phone except one to use for emergency. I have no laptop. I have no smartphone, no iPod, because I can’t see them. I have uninterrupted time to think.” Such a luxury, she believes, makes her the wealthiest person in the world.
It may have taken her more than half a century to finally get to this point but Beskind is now living what she claims is “the best chapter of her life”. Let’s hope the rest of us can dare to be as determined as her, regardless of how old we are.
