On Sunday, President Trump turns 80. By the end of his term, he will be the oldest president in U.S. history. “I feel the same as I did 50 years ago,” Mr. Trump said last month. “It’s crazy.”
Times Opinion asked a handful of notable older Americans to share the best and worst things about being 80. They described the sadness of loss and the freedom age brings — and some offered Mr. Trump advice.
Bob Dylan, 85
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and Nobel Prize recipient
The best thing
The best thing about being 80 is that you outlive the clocks that have been chasing you. It’s freedom from that lie that anything was ever under control. You don’t chase the parade anymore. You’re an old king from some vanished country. You’re harder to program. You’re not rushing to become anything and you’re not haunted by things that you did. You’re haunted by how little of it really mattered in the way you thought it would.
The worst thing
The worst thing about being 80 is that you still want to say yes to everything, but the world moves without asking. The old fire in your heart still tells you to do this and that, but your body says we already did it. Also, nothing surprises you. It sounds like a luxury but it’s not, and also you’ve run out of illusions. People treat you like either you’ve solved something or you’ve lost something, and you haven’t. You see life repeating itself everywhere.
The really worst part about being 80 is that you find, at last, you’ve got an understanding of something that might have altered everything in the past, had it come at a time when something could still be altered. When you’re young you think that time moves forward. At 80 you know that it doesn’t, it stands still. We’re the ones that move.
Liza Minnelli, 80
Academy Award-winning actor, singer and dancer
The best thing
What would you think if somebody said to you, “You’re going to be 80. How do ya feel?” Well, I can tell you, you stop auditioning for approval. You know who you are, what you love and what matters. At 80, the noise fades and the music gets clearer. I’ve had a life in front of audiences, under lights, through triumph and heartbreak. What’s left is joy. Real joy. The kind you don’t chase. You recognize it, you hold it and you say thank you.
The worst thing
You lose people. That’s the truth of it. Friends, collaborators, parts of your own history. You carry them with you, but the room gets quieter. And your body has its own opinions now. I’ve learned to listen, not fight it. You adjust. You find new rhythms. Still, the missing never quite goes away.
Any advice for the president as he turns 80?
I would say this to any president: Turning 80 gives you perspective. You’ve seen enough to know what lasts and what costs people too much. Use that. Stay curious. Stay engaged. Experience is an asset if you keep learning and listening. Surround yourself with people who tell you the truth. You are there to take care of people. Listen when they are struggling. Act with fairness. Remember every decision reaches someone’s real life. Lead with empathy.
Robert De Niro, 82
Academy Award-winning actor, director and producer
The best (and worst) thing
I don’t think of birthday milestones as occasions for reflection. I live my life every day, grateful for the blessings of family, friends and work.
Any advice for the president as he turns 80?
The president doesn’t listen to advice. He surrounds himself with feckless clowns who keep their positions by supporting his every whim. If I were able to pierce the shell of cruelty, greed, corruption and stupidity for one piece of advice … I would advise him to get some good advice from good people, and follow it.
Gloria Steinem, 92
Activist and co-founder of Ms. magazine
The best thing
With the needs of work and family more in the past, it’s likely we have some of the immediate pleasures of childhood again, from appreciating pets and nature to seeing family members and friends blossom in unexpected ways. For example, my friend who was a makeup artist has opened a great bookstore.
The worst thing
Losing people you love.
Any advice for the president as he turns 80?
Resign.
Art Garfunkel, 84
Grammy Award-winning singer and poet
The best thing
You gain a longer view. Time stretches behind you, and patterns reveal themselves. The urgency softens. You listen more closely. You notice what endures. For me, it has always been the voice, the words, the quiet spaces between them, and the melody. In your 80s, you trust those spaces. You don’t rush to fill them. You let meaning arrive on its own terms.
The worst thing
The body sets limits, and you’re obliged to accept them. The world you knew changes shape, sometimes faster than you’d like. The joy of being in my 80s is the love for my wife, Kim, and my sons, who are the greatest joys of my life, and of course, the joys of singing and being onstage. Age allows me to truly appreciate the greatness of love every day.
Any advice for the president as he turns 80?
I don’t give advice, because life is a mystery and none of us really know. Still, I would offer this to any president turning 80: Value reflection as much as action. The impulse to move quickly is strong, but depth requires stillness. Seek out voices that challenge your thinking. Read widely. Listen carefully. A nation responds not only to decisions, but to tone. Choose words with care. Let them carry clarity, restraint and a sense of shared humanity.
Dionne Warwick, 85
Grammy Award-winning singer
The best thing
The fact that I have been blessed to make it to 80.
The worst thing
Haven’t found anything yet.
Any advice for the president as he turns 80?
Start acting like he is 80!
Illustration by Lucy Jones; source photographs by Kevin Winter, Samir Hussein, Stephen Lovekin, Paul Bruinooge and Monica Morgan/Getty Images; Erik Carter for The New York Times.
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