Never Too Old for New Ideas

Tennis legend Billie Jean King has spent a lifetime breaking barriers. With 39 Grand Slam titles, a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and a place in history as a fierce advocate for equality, she has certainly earned the right to rest. Instead at age 81, she has gone back to college to finish the history degree she began six decades ago.

King says she is loving the experience, taking classes online at Cal State University between tennis matches, board meetings, and music lessons. She is just a few months from graduation, and her story reminds us that the pursuit of wisdom does not end, and age should never be an excuse to slow down.

In the 1960s, King completed the first three years of a history degree from Cal State, Los Angeles, but she had to quit to write her own chapter into the history books. Now she is enjoying the journey:

“I’m loving the experience, I love reading, I like goals,” she said. “It’s very interesting how women in the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th century survived. I think our professors are trying to have us realize everyone has some sort of power, no matter what the level.”

King acknowledges that she can be too idealistic at times, but she can’t help emphasizing the value of acceptance -- particularly in the current climate.

“Be good to each other and be thoughtful,” she said. “Make sure you tell people you see them, you know, ‘I see you, I see you.’”

As Paul wrote in Philippians 3:12, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” 

Similarly, King presses on — still curious, still grateful, still eager to see what God will teach her next. May we do the same: eyes open, hearts humble, ready to say at the end of each day, “I see you" to those around us, and, “I’m still learning, too.”