Listen to Older Women

I’m particular about listening to podcasts. True crime is too scary for me, I don’t want to improve myself too much,  and I get overwhelmed by too many current events/news podcasts. I e

njoy being entertained or learning something new. That hits the spot for me. Enter “Wiser Than Me,” with Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Like 2.8 million people, I follow Elyse Myers on social media and have started listening to her podcast which has been fun and entertaining. Recently, Elyse had Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a guest on her podcast. Julia Louis-Dreyfus talked about why she started her own podcast, “Wiser Than Me,”  to interview older women (over 70) to listen to older women, see what they’ve learned from life, and what they feel is worth sharing. 

I started listening and I was hooked! It’s so refreshing to hear from women, especially older women. In politics, media, and religion, the expectations for women in these spaces have been oftentimes defined by older men, so the chance to hear a podcast about life and advice from women who have seen things and lived lives of variety can feel almost restorative. 

I’ve listened to several episodes and while I won’t spoil the details,  an overarching theme is gratitude for health. After hearing Jane Fonda, it made me want to dig out some of her old exercise videos and give them a try.  The incredible author, Isabelle Allende, expressed that she could still touch her toes and spoke about how her quiet morning meditations with her loved ones who have passed on keep her feeling alive.

As Julia Louis-Dreyfus spoke with her guests, I loved hearing them talk of relationships, men, sex as they get older, activism, and the experience of being a woman in society. They openly reflected on their lives and allow the listener to gather advice without it being directly given. No surprise, this podcast is funny! Julia Louis-Dreyfus is hilarious and you’ll laugh along with her and interviews with older women as you learn more about both of their lives. 

These older women are not giving a road map or claiming to be self-help gurus but sharing the stories of their lives looking backward in the later years while acknowledging that hindsight is 20/20. It’s not a parenting podcast, but the guests discuss parenting regrets or what they did well. To listen to older women is to hear different perspectives in different stages. These wise women speak about the job of being a grandparent and how much more relaxed they are with a lifetime of perspective.

I said I’m not looking for a self-improvement podcast, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t learn from their life experiences with a laugh along the way. It looks like it may be helpful after all. 

*FYI- This is a fantastic podcast, but not kid friendly due to language. If you’re looking for recommendations for kids, check this out.