“Darndest” Guest Speaker

Retirement Community Has “Darndest” Guest Speaker

Reading through some of the news about retirement communities that make up my daily reading,  one particular article immediately caught my attention.  In the first paragraph under the quoted heading, “Make Your Life Meaningful,” was the mention of Art Linkletter, a name I hadn’t heard in many years.

Known best for his witty encounters with kids on House Party and People are Funny, two of the longest-running shows in United States broadcast history, Linkletter still has a knack for reaching audiences with his warm sense of humor tinged with realism. 

Not only has Linkletter had a lengthy career in radio and television, but he’s also a very successful writer.  Kids Say The Darndest Things, one of 23 books he’s written, was at #1 for two consecutive years and is considered one of the top 14 best sellers in American publishing history.  Linkletter also wrote another best seller, Old Age is Not For Sissies, and has now coauthored, How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life, which talks about finding laughter in growing old.

In addition to being a writer, Art is deeply involved in the health field, especially when relating to aging.  He serves as National Chairman to the United Seniors Association, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the UCLA Center on Aging, Chairman of the Board for the J. Douglas French Research Foundation for Alzheimers, Founding Board member of Kaiser Hospitals, and former Commissioner of the Presidential Commission for Health & Recreation.   All this, and he still finds time to make about 75  national and internation speaking engagements a year.

During one of his talks, Linkletter urged seniors to consider independent living and assisted living facilities after retirement to stay active and to continue forming relationships.   “The toughest thing about growing old is that you lose all of your best friends.  It’s tough to handle,” Linkletter stated.  “Of course, the answer to that is to make new friends.” 

When asked if he expects to live to be 100, his reply was, “I would like to live to be 150.  I’ve scheduled myself for 100.  I’ve signed a contract to do a professional lecture on my 100th birthday in Washington, D.C.  I figure as long as I have a contract, I won’t die.”