'Guiding Light' Favorite Mary Kay Adams: "The World Doesn't Respond To Me Like It Used To"

Mary Kay Adams

Actress Mary Kay Adams was a daytime sensation as India von Halkein on Guiding Light, a role she created in 1984.

Now a sign language interpreter, Adams is quoted on the humans of new york website about learning to accept the changes that come with growing older, and embracing her new life.

You can read what she said below.

The world doesn’t respond to me like it used to. Throughout my life I had learned to anticipate a certain pattern of focus and friendliness. And I never realized how much of that was based on my youth and physical appearance. I thought it was because of my energy and personality. But I’ve had to accept that a woman becomes less and less visible as she ages. It begins to fade in your 40’s, and drops off in your 50’s. You have a harder time holding people’s attention. The conversations become less about you, and more about the transaction. It used to really bother me. I would feel abandoned or ignored. But I’ve grown out of it. There’s a certain grace to letting go of the need for attention. I was an actor for most of my life. I was all about getting attention. But now I’m working as a sign language interpreter, which I love. Because it isn’t about me at all.

Photo Credit: Brandon Stanton