With all due respect to F. Scott Fitzgerald, these days, Americans are finding that there are second acts in life. With longer lifespans and a greater sense of independence, people are discovering the courage to start living their dreams, at any age.

For 40 years, Ida Bransford has been on the lookout for the depression glass that reminds her of her youth. In this Growing Bolder exclusive, we take you inside a home that many have heard about but few have actually seen.

Larry Roofner was a corporate executive, a move and shaker and a big-time success. And it nearly killed him. So he walked away from it all, and at 52, he reinvented himself. One door led to another, until the doors themselves changed his life.

He’s written music for NBC sports, artist Thomas Kinkade and for a 3-year-old victim of child abuse. Wayne Gratz’s music has been described as sonic soup for the soul. You’ll wonder why you’ve never heard of him before.

In the 1980s, he was one of the most feared pitchers in baseball and the best left-hander in the game. 20 years later, Frank “Sweet Music” Viola has moved from the mound to the dugout where he’s giving college players a little sweet music of their own.

In December 1997, the “weblog” was born. Within two years, it was better known as a blog – and today, more than 112 million blogs are posted on the Internet! Are you ready to share your stories online?

In this episode, an Olympic champion proves age really is just a number, and an American hero remembers a day that not only changed history, it changed his future. Plus, we pay tribute to some under-appreciated instruments, and a self-taught artist discovers his inner Picasso and puts his passion on the canvas.

Maybe one of the most famous Growing Bolder stories in the Olympics comes from Dara Torres. She was the first American swimmer to compete in five Olympics and the oldest female swimmer in the history of the Games. Now, her new book candidly reveals the challenge of going after a seemingly impossible dream.

The newest craze in music is one of the oldest – bluegrass! Its true roots lie with the common folks, like Johnny Adams, who fell so in love with the mandolin that he now makes his own!

When we heard that the residents of The Villages, Florida – one of the biggest retirement communities in the world – were planning to try and break a world record for the kazoo, we decided to document the day. We had fun, but it seems one person didn’t appreciate our coverage. So, we bring you the kazoo rebuttal – starting with a look at the story that got it all started

In 1984, at the age of 56, fighter pilot, daredevil and American aviation hero Joseph P. Kittinger Jr. made aviation history when he became the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo in a balloon.

Who says you need training to be an artist? Earl Nash was completely self-taught and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Find out how you can discover your inner Picasso and put your own passion on the canvas.

Reality? Who needs it? We take a look at the newest craze in technology, designed to make what you see, hear and feel even more intense.

On this week’s episode of The Growing Bolder TV Show, see how the best triathlete in U.S. Olympic history is leaving a legacy for his family and others.

Hunter Kemper is the most decorated triathlete in US history and has his sights set on his 4th Olympics in 2012. But this time he’ll be competing for more than his country and himself. He reveals how the birth of his own child inspired him to make a difference in the lives of other children.

He owned three business and had over 70 employees, Frank Attwood couldn’t understand why he was miserable. It’s a story about finding purpose in life. We’ll introduce you to a man who reinvented himself by becoming America’s most famous inventor.

Jim Henson’s untimely departure from this world left a huge hole in our hearts that has yet to be filled. It’s because his work also had a soul. His characters, creations, TV shows and films all had common elements of … decency! There was an undercurrent of optimism, of empathy and encouragement that permeated nearly every project he worked on.

Do you want to be a real life treasure hunter? See how some new tech tools are making it fun and easy to go geocaching.