The inevitability of growing old scares me like few other things. My biggest consolation is that I should be able to keep creating no matter how old I get - and unlike other passions, this passion of ours only requires a sound mind, not necessarily a sound body.
It's such a relief for those of us who share that fear. I stumbled upon this letter yesterday, it's a complaint that a 98 year old lady wrote to her bank's CEO. (http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art42630.asp)
These two ladies are an excellent example that age is not an impediment for doing things (or doing something about things...in the latter case).
Hmmm... the Internet seems to have helped develop in me a very strong level of cynicism such that I'd put the chances of this being genuine at < 5%, and the Granny Coder at about 40%
Unfortunately in some cases the mind deteriorates too, not just the body. I knew a 90+ year old women who was pretty sane, but after two years she became retarded. She was asking me something, I was answering and after 5-10 minutes she was asking the same question again.
Btw, I think that Grace Murray Hopper can be considered a model, too.
I want to be like Marie when I grow up.