INSPIRATION
Words from the Wise: Gloria from Brooklyn
We sat down with one of the many people who inspired our journey to create Remsen: co-founder Sam’s grandmother, Gloria. On a sunny afternoon in Brooklyn, we discussed everything from her thoughts on aging to style icons and feeling at home. Not only has Gloria been a major influence in Sam’s life, but she and Sam’s grandfather had a small hand in shaping the brand’s identity: their home is located on Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights.
Sam: What do you love about being your age?
Gloria: When you feel like you’re a history journal. You know, when you look at something, you just have to turn the page and you have memories and it all blends in. And it’s rather fun.
You don’t have to read, you just know it. It’s great to get old, to carry that around with you, that book of knowledge. It’s great.
Sam: Who is your style icon?
Gloria: Well, you know, Audrey Hepburn was. We all idolized her, because she was different than all the other beauties. And she seemed smarter than a lot of other people. And she had a lot of dignity.
She was really different than all the other actresses. And you saw her in Roman Holiday, she was precious. She didn’t sing and dance. She just, she just was.
Sam: What is challenging about being your age?
Gloria: Living so long that a lot of the people that I love dearly have left, and finding new replacements is kind of hard.
I’m enjoying solitary time. I worry though because you read so much about older people being lonely, and maybe it’s because I carry a richness within that I don’t feel lonely.
Maybe I’m becoming very introverted. And I think I was probably more introverted most of my life than I ever acknowledged. Because we were taught to be social animals, and spending time by yourself wasn’t healthy. I don’t know if that’s true. I guess I’ll never know that, but that’s okay.
Sam: What is your most prized possession?
Gloria: I think my family is my prized possession. I feel secure. I feel certainty, which is a very, very nice feeling. I know that if I’m ill, I just have to call a number and somebody will come running. And I feel secure about the help that I get with my husband who’s going to be 95. And he’s a toughy.
Sam: Do you feel your age?
Gloria: It varies from day to day. I don’t feel 88, although there are wonderful parts of being 88. Sometimes I’m 15, sometimes I’m 45. It varies on how my body feels and whether the sun is shining and whether I have something nice to look forward to.
Sam: What has gotten better with age?
Gloria: Well, you can cut through the BS more easily. And you become more selective. Just find your place in the world, and shut out the rest of the stuff that you have no control of.
It’s sort of self care in a way. And I know we’ve been taught that’s selfish, but it isn’t. It’s really selfness. It’s not selfish. I don’t know if selfness is a word, but it’s a good thought.
Sam: What makes you feel at home?