james flaherty - Biography

Jim Flaherty was a Manhattan advertising creative director, including four challenging years in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also was the creator and innkeeper of a legendary country inn and conference center in the boonies of NY State, where he still lives (and creates) in his art-filled converted 1940s dairy barn in the foothills of the Berkshires. He has published two pure fiction novels plus three non-fiction books about aging gracefully. He said there's also a TV series, a dark-comedy screenplay, and a Broadway musical, plus a novel underway, just waiting for the right agent to introduce them to the world. He reminds himself that today is the oldest he's ever been and the youngest he'll ever be, so he attacks each morning with cheerful energy. Mr. Flaherty happily admits to age 89-(going on 49). He is a frequent speaker to Elder and Almost-Elder groups about this very subject. A father, grandfather and great-grandfather, he tries to live up to his six-word definition of himself: "I am present--Living, Giving, Loving." He attributes much of his positive attitude to his widowed mother, who taught him to face his most severe critic-that person in his bathroom mirror-and instead of moaning, Good God Another Day, to smile winningly at that familiar face, and say, Good, God, Another Day, another opportunity to embrace the joy of living. His favorite review came from his daughters: "You never bored us." He is a Directing Elder in his church and sings in the choir.