As someone who’s three quarters of the way through my 60s, my perspective on age has evolved considerably from the “you can’t trust anyone over 30” mantra of the 1960s. Last week I enjoyed lunch with a long time friend, Nancy Harlocker, on the occasion of her 88th birthday. Nancy is an incredibly upbeat and engaged octogenarian who’s led an interesting life. She grew up on Oahu, an eyewitness at 10 years old to the attack on Pearl Harbor. A kindred spirit, Nancy wrote the society column for the Honolulu daily newspaper for nearly two decades before moving to Coeur d’Alene in the early 1990s. She has a similarly active circle of women friends who continue to give their time to the community.

Our visit made me think about how fortunate I am to have relationships and friendships with people of all ages. Yesterday Don Sausser turned 85 and gives no indication of lessening his engagement in the community. On Sunday Mary Lou Reed will celebrate 89 years and I’m quite sure I’d not be able to keep up with her on any given day. Ellen Travolta made the 80 milestone earlier this month and took time from performing, mentoring etc ... to take a girlfriend road trip.

I have wonderful friends with whom I share a history back to junior high school. My girl tribe includes women in their 40s and 50s, and some in their 30s ... those who’ve taken up the mantle of being actively engaged. I’m inspired by my older friends and energized by my younger friends.

Through the years I’ve interviewed a number of centenarians, curious about what it was like to live to be 100. Betty Owens was an incredible 105 years old when she passed away just shy of her 106th Veterans Day birthday and came on the air with me for the last three of those birthdays, sharp as a tack and absolutely radiant. Ace Waldon said he planned to live to be 103 and he did. I had the pleasure of driving him when at 100 he served as grand marshal of the Fourth of July parade and the experience remains one of my favorite memories of the man and the Fourth of July.

Both Betty and Ace were much loved and surrounded by family and friends throughout their lives. Each told me that one of the hardest aspects of a very long life, beyond just simply having your body wear out, was the lack of peers. I hadn’t thought about that but when you live to be 100 it’s not likely your high school class is still reuniting. And often you’ve outlived even some of your children.

It was not by design that at this point in my journey through life to have such a wide range of friends of so many eras but it’s definitely a bonus. Our communities, organizations and the overall good is well-served by a mutual respect and appreciation for what the younger generation is doing and what the older generation has done.

- • •

This week’s highlights:

Friday events include the opening of ROOTED!, a collection of mixed-media works by 14 Idaho artists who are graduating from the Artrepreneur Program. The program, from 6-8:30 p.m., is an intensive course on professional and business practices for artists. This exhibit is sponsored by the Idaho Commission on the Arts and is free. Info: www.thejacklincenter.org.

Aspire Community Theater opens the run of the Addams Family on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Kroc Center, continuing through Oct. 27. Info: www.aspirecda.com.

Also opening Friday is the Lake City Playhouse production of The Odd Couple (Female Version), which will run through Nov. 3. at 7:30 p.m. Info: www.lakecityplayhouse.org.

On Saturday the final Kootenai County Farmers Market of the season at the U.S. 95 and Prairie Avenue location from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

- • •

Happy birthday today to Jordan Hudson (13!), Misti Flood, Kathie Lyon, Pam Nygaard, Brad Perry and Mike Farquhar. Tomorrow Faith Tonna, Laurie Cook, Dana Albanese, Rosemary Fuller and Karen Deering will celebrate. Friday birthdays belong to Arlene Pischner, Keith Erickson, Terry Gurno, Will Wolff, Kevin Clement, Kathy Reid and Lauri Armon. Dan Gookin, Tom Hamilton, Bobbi Koep, Louise Jackson, Linda Chapman and Holly Hall start another trip around the sun on Saturday. October 20 is the date Mary Lou Reed, Luke Malek, Mary Willeford, Jodie Krieg, Nick Peacock, Brooke Litalien, Kara Powers and Jerry Lee (70!) came into the world. Carly Goodlander, Mike Threadgill, Monika Krapfl and Paul Mikel will put on their party hats on Monday. Wish Jazmine Brown, Whitney Brown, Dick Brantley, Sara Fetters and Chastin Jaeger a happy birthday on Tuesday.

- • •

Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.