Finding GOLD

I love traveling and experiencing different cultures, new traditional foods, and meeting people along the way. My last tour was an Odyssey Unlimited tour of Sicily and Southern Italy. It was on this trip with our tour group I met Fay Gold. After I got to know her, I felt like I’d struck Gold.

It’s not often you’re lucky enough to come across someone as accomplished as this young woman of 90 years. And she’s not done yet with all she wants to do. Fay isn’t ever going to be a rocking chair grandma. Her adventurous spirit and positive attitude would never allow that.

An Odyssey tour always begins with an evening group meeting where we introduce ourselves. This is where I was introduced to Fay Gold and her granddaughter, Blair.

Fay had a certain flair as she flashed her coy smile. This petite woman was dressed in black and had black lacquered nails filed to sharp points that immediately caught my eye. Even though I knew she was older than the rest of us, she had a trendy look.

I’ll admit at this introduction meeting I wondered how this older woman was going to keep up with the group in a country that has you constantly climbing.

I didn’t yet know the spunk of this remarkable woman.

I took to her, along with her cute granddaughter immediately.

And I soon learned Fay is famous and not at all shy. We had lively conversations (she’s very quick with her wit), and I began to understand why Fay never allowed her age to limit her on this tour. With Blair lending an arm for support on uneven cobblestone streets, Fay was a trooper. She never complained and approached each day with enthusiasm about what we would soon experience.

Our travel group of ten was in awe that age had not limited Fay to what we all loved–Traveling. I think many in our group believed tours requiring endurance and mobility wouldn’t be in our future cards when we reached an older age. That is, until we met Fay. Wow, we’d comment on her never missing an activity. She gave us a different, more positive, way to think about life as we age.

The men in the group readily volunteered to help Fay when the steps were perilous for even the most sure-footed individuals. Fay was a joy to be around.

On this tour, I was 2 months shy of turning 70 and had adopted the mindset that this meant I was on the downhill slope of life. When I mentioned this to Fay, she looked me dead in the eye and told said, “Forget your age. Embrace the day.” In her mind she is still 30 years old. Therefore, she has a lot more life ahead and doesn’t contemplate death. At least in the sense that there’s not much time left. I caught the twinkle in her eyes as she spoke to me about this, but I told myself, she’s in denial.

After spending almost 2 weeks with Fay I began to realize what she meant about age. She wasn’t in denial. She just approaches and imagines life differently. I’m working on having her attitude as my own. It’s not easy when you have daily reminders that something in your body aches (I call it the traveling ache. One day it’s a knee, then next might be a shoulder, hip, etc. You get the picture.) I believe Fay keeps her positive outlook because she’s always had it.

And I’ll say it’s contagious.

Fay’s beloved husband passed away many years ago. She has a boyfriend, Jack who is 91. They used to travel together but Jack no longer has the desire to get on a plane and fly 12 hours. I can’t blame him. It’s not easy sitting in the cattle car section of a plane for that many hours. Yet Fay loves to travel, so she asked her granddaughter, Blair, to accompany her. She said it’s not walking that she has trouble with (she tries to get 10,000 steps a day) but she doesn’t want to chance falling. Add determination to her character.

Fay’s approachable nature allowed me to answer a question I had. What made Fay who she was? Did she have an easy life that allowed her to stay positive? What makes her tick? To find these answers I needed to know about her past.

Fay was born in Greenville, South Carolina and raised in New York. In college she majored in theater and art history. During WWII, she entertained troops in USO shows. In 1949, she was onscreen with Rita Moreno in “So Young So Bad.” In 1954 she married Donald Gold who moved her from New York to Atlanta.

She didn’t realize it at the time but moving to Atlanta created an opportunity she never imagined. Atlanta in 1966 was not a contemporary art scene. Not yet anyway.

Her art career began by teaching a ten-year-old neighbor in a small studio she had built in her backyard in Atlanta. Within 10 years she had up to 60 children and adults who had gained an appreciation for contemporary art. During this time, she grew an impressive art collection which consisted mainly of New York Pop. She was also raising three children. I can only imagine her days were long and exhausting.

Fay told me she has a visual gift. On a gut instinct many years back, she invested $5200 in a piece of art. The art piece sold for several million several years back. Add risk-taker to her M.O.

She opened the Fay Gold Gallery in Atlanta in 1982. I read in an article that this was a trailblazing move in the Atlanta area. It was open till 2009. Her gallery became one of the nation’s top contemporary art galleries. I said in the ‘nation’. To accomplish this, she must be hardworking, talented, high-octane energy, determined and a visionary. None of this was handed down to her. Atlanta Magazine’s “Our City’s Most Powerful Leaders’ edition named her a Legend (her name needs no introduction).

I believe her past is testimony to what makes Fay tick. She grabs what life has to offer and finds joy and opportunity in it. During our time together, her passion always amazed me.

She is fun to have a drink with. We did this one night at an Italian restaurant. I learned that Fay willingly would tell you about her life, but unlike so many people I meet, Fay pays attention to what you have to say showing genuine interest in you. She is very down to earth despite her fame.

When I returned home from my trip to Sicily and southern Italy, I called Fay and chatted with her. I wanted to know more about why she still travels and any tips she has for older travelers.

In Fay’s own words:

“What do you love about traveling?”

“I adore travel. Traveling keeps you young. It keeps your mind stimulated and pushes you to stay active. Traveling is where you bond with others. This trip gave me the opportunity to get closer to my granddaughter.”

“Do you fly first class?”

“No. I flew coach to Africa, Antarctica, India, and China. Traveling is harder these days and that’s why I like having a companion travel with me.”

“What advice to do you for older travelers?”

“Keep packing simple. I only take black and white clothes. I keep an open mind to new things. Travel with somebody who will help you get around. Somebody who cares about older people but doesn’t treat you like you’re old.”

“On the trip you always looked so stylish.”

“Is there any other way to look?”

“How do you stay so positive?”

“I keep a good attitude. I never say my age. 90 is a ridiculous number. I keep intelligent, positive people around me and I stay around young people. People 60 plus years old. Retiring is a mistake. I now work as an independent curator and art consultant to private and corporate clients. You must keep your mind sharp. And remember to always be grateful.”

“How would you describe yourself?”

“I call myself a Rolls Royce getting rusty.”

“Where do you want to travel next?”

“Croatia. But I know I’d need a companion for the trip and it’s not easy finding someone.”

A 12-hour plane ride isn’t easy, especially with you flying coach. Was this trip worth it to you?

“Of course, it was. Think of all the wonderful things I would have missed seeing and experiencing if I stayed home.”