I started a new business when I was about 55, in the mid-nineties, which was ultimately sort of successful, but on the other hand I wound up working for one client/customer, so it was pretty much like employment. This was in web site design and production; unlike now, not everyone and his dog did it. On the other hand the ageism thing was already pretty heavy. Web site people were supposed to be males in their twenties, have at least one earring, a goatee, a brush cut, wear jeans at all times, and be sort of disgusted with everything. There was no way I could even approximate this act, and since almost no one was interested in actual production, my portfolio was of little importance. That made progress a bit difficult. However, I had a pretty good time because I was a bit ahead on funds and I had pretty good morale. At that time I saw many, many people, my former colleagues, now middle-aged, strapped to mortgages and their kids’ education bills, getting kicked out of jobs they thought were secure. Many of them never saw it coming and were devastated. Over age 50, it is very unlikely you will get back in; one fellow I knew, a tech writer, a good one, wound up cutting meat in a supermarket. It is not just Silicon Valley; the prejudice against age permeates American culture and runs wide and deep. Unlike race, ethnicity, religion, body shape, disability, it is still a categorization for which people can be openly derided, discriminated against, despised, considered hopeless cases for any lively pursuit. Look around.
