My 15 Minutes of Fame

"Aging. Reimagined!" Storytelling Show

My days were filled with the ordinary routines of a retired Midwestern grandma. I work part-time at a nearby living history museum, volunteer with two nonprofits, and indulge in my favorite pastimes—storytelling and writing. Then, everything changed!

It seems my 15 minutes have arrived.

Brenda in Andy Warhol’s Pop Art style he co-founded and championed.

“Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.” Quote attributed to Andy Warhol in 1968.

In August, I was announced as the 2025 Frank Basile Emerging Storytelling Fellow, and life has taken on a new rhythm ever since. On October 24th, I found myself on the cover of The Indianapolis Recorder; that same week I was in my hometown newspaper, the Fishers Current.

I had the honor of being on Vicke Peterson’s, radio show, “All Senior Citizens Connect.” Yesterday, my friend, Harold “HB” Bell interviewed me on his radio show, “The Senior Scoop.” Tomorrow morning, I’ll be sitting under bright studio lights at WISH-TV’s “Daybreak” for my first live TV interview about the storytelling show.

I’m both excited and a little surprised. This kind of attention isn’t something I imagined, especially at this stage of life. But more than anything, I’m grateful—to the storytelling community that welcomed me, to the mentors who believed in me, and to everyone who has reminded me that it’s never too late to begin something new.

A previous brush with fame in the Harvey Star Tribune, April 20, 1969.

As I move through this unexpected season of attention and opportunity, I’m reminded why I started Older, Bolder & Better! in the first place. Life after sixty isn’t about retreat—it’s about renewal. Every time we show up, share our stories, or take on something new, we push back against the idea that aging means disappearing. We become living proof that curiosity, courage, and creativity don’t have a shelf life. What if I never applied for the Emerging Stories Fellowship? I almost didn’t.

There’s an African proverb that says, “Whenever an elder dies, a library burns down.” I think about that often. We are filled with stories of wisdom, resilience, laughter, heartbreak, and hope. When we share our stories—whether on a stage, across a coffee table, or a video on the phone—we keep those libraries alive. We offer our experiences as gifts to the next generation, reminders that growing older doesn’t mean growing lesser.

So, as I step into this new chapter as an “emerging” storyteller at age sixty-eight, I hope others see themselves reflected in this journey. Let’s keep emerging, connecting, and creating—because the world still needs our voices, our vision, and our stories!

Tickets are available via live stream that can be played later.