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This 82-YO Has Developed a Popular App & Even Has a Blog – What’s Your Excuse Now?

2018-02-26 , 8:49 am

We all know the term lifelong learning but let’s be honest here, how many of us actually believed in it?

How many times have you wanted to do something, only to give up because you’re too old?

Maybe you’ve always wanted to do video editing, but you look at yourself; a 30-year-old working a 9-5 job, and you decide that it’s impossible. #TrueStoryMyAutobiography

Well, this old lady’s story is going to blow your mind-and your excuses-out of the water.

82-Year-Old Masako Wakamiya, App Developer & Blogger

At the ripe old age of 82 years old, she’s definitely cooler than your grandmother…and mine too. Unlike our grandma, you don’t have to teach her how to use a smartphone.

She’ll be teaching you instead.

Retired from a bank at the age of 60, she bought a computer despite not knowing how to use one.

She had to care for her elderly mother and didn’t have time to go out, so she wanted to make friends and interact online.

It took her 3 months to learn how to use the device.

When she learned Microsoft Excel, she went around trying to teach it to other seniors.

Unfortunately, her fellow elderly weren’t interested in the program at all.

Which makes sense.

Excel is like work, and who wants to be reminded of work after retirement, right?

But she didn’t give up

This is the attitude you should cultivate: not giving up.

In order to make things more interesting for fellow seniors, she started using Excel to create artwork and teaches it to them.

And that’s when things started picking up.

“When someone’s able to create what they envisioned, they tell me, ‘Sensei (teacher), I was able to do it!’

“The expression that they have at that moment is always so full of happiness.”

But she didn’t stop there, she went ahead with step 2.

Normally, people who have achieved something like that will take a step back, pat themselves on the back and say: good job!

Not Masako Wakamiya, though.

She approached software developers and ask them to develop apps for the elderly. She was rejected and one of them asked her to develop it herself.

So she did.

She bought programming books to learn how to develop an app herself.

She also consulted a programmer via Facebook Messenger and Skype.

And that’s when things truly took off.

Hinadan, an app game for seniors with over 53k downloads

The app she developed is called Hinadan, an iOS app that requires users to place Hina dolls in the right places. It helps to stimulate the memory of the player.

The app has since gained a million views worldwide and over 53k downloads.

It was also responsible for making her into an inspiring role model.

Developing this app allows her to meet with Tim Cook, CEO of Apple

Who told her she inspires him.

As well as get her to give TedX talks

And she has published a few books as well

A publisher asked if she would be open to writing a book, so she did.

She wrote, “Your life gets more interesting when you hit 60”.

That and her own PC textbooks because the ones available on the market was too boring for her.

So you’re wondering, what’s next?

Currently, Wakamiya maintains a blog in both Japanese and English; and she is working hard on improving her programming skills so she can develop the next app.

In other words, she’s going to continue pushing forward, and the world is excited to see what she has to offer.

Guys, remember that she’s 82 years old.

So what’s your excuse for not trying new things again?

But then, don’t think you can wait till retirement to do awesome things.

Do it now because we all know that retiring fully in Singapore is a myth for most of us 😉

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This article was first published on goodyfeed.com