You are old, they will believe you…

Levina Lubov is one of the top authors of the Russian publishing house ACT. Her self-help books are clear and trustworthy instructions for elderly people who want to learn new technologies. 

Lubov published her first book at the age of 59. Was it a miracle or a stroke of luck? Most likely, it was a captivating story of a person who is interested in life and in other people. 

This is how it happened… 

In general, I started writing when I was a child. As any teenager, I was writing poetry. 65 years ago, children wanted to be astronauts, they want to travel to the friendly country of China to help people there, they wanted to build communism. But I, in addition to all of that, wanted to become a writer. My first serious book was published 9 years ago. So, a lot of time has passed since my childhood dreams. Note that my most successful book “Computer primer for rusty newbies” was not written for a large audience. I wrote it for myself and for my girlfriends, trying to help us to start working with computers. By accident, the ACT publishing house noticed it. I signed a contract with them, and this how I became famous.  

I got my first degree at Polytechnic Institute. Then I had worked for 19.5 years for a military plant. I had to have clearance, and my circle of friends was very limited. I worked as a system engineer in the department of engineering policies. I was writing algorithms, documentation, I had to make presentations in front of military leadership. And then, suddenly, I became very ill. Seven times in a row I had acute ulcers.  

Then I went to see a psychotherapist. Back in 1989, it was a very rare profession. I had a lot of doubts: should I go or not? It was not very common back then. But I went. 

He looked at me and said. “You are working in the wrong place”. For me, with my character, with my temperament, this place didn’t fit me. He told me: “You either need to change your environment, or your job, or your husband.” And then, at 38, while already having a graduate degree, I started studying at the Institute of Culture. And finally, I experienced the thrill of studying. 

At 42 I got my second degree. Meanwhile, my daughters were studying in a good school with wonderful teaching staff. One time, my daughter’s teacher invites me over and says: “So, Lubov, now the holidays begin, come to work with us.” I’ve thought this over and thought this over one more time. I asked my husband for advice. 

He said “Luba – here you will either kill yourself or kill us. Go.” And I left my prestigious job, my high salary, and started working as an ordinary teacher of continuing education.  

As soon as I started working at school, two weeks later, the director of the Children’s Art Academy calls me and says: “The director of our music school is quitting. Could you take up this position for 2 months?”  I took up … for 28 years. That’s how I worked – in two schools at the same time. 

At 54, I started studying again – now to be a speech therapist. I needed it for my work: there were a lot of special-needs children, and it was important to know how to work with them. 

Now, I have a series of integrated lessons targeted to help children who have difficulties at school to better and faster learn the subject. I’ve been working on a book about it for many years. 

At the age 59, I was finishing up my teaching career and was looking forward to retirement. But in the back on my mind, I was worried about what I was going to do. By accident, I saw an ad in a newspaper – a doorman was reading it, and I just glanced at it. It was an invitation to study sales over the internet. I got excited and rushed across the town – it was the last day to apply. I got accepted.  

Even though I already had three graduate degrees, this study was the hardest. I didn’t understand anything, especially about computers. Therefore, I started writing everything down, for myself: push this button, then push here, etc. I was asking: “Somebody – please write instructions”. But they would reply: “Lubov – you are old, they will believe you”. 

And another thing I remember. They would say: “Lubov – we cannot teach you real business. Why don’t you organize some club for grandmas – you can have tea with pastries.” So, I organized it. 

How did this happen? I remember – I am standing in the teachers’ room and saying: “I should open a department to teach computer science to elderly”. The headteacher didn’t even let me finish – she rushed straight to the school director with this proposal. Probably, there was so much demand, that they figured out all the formalities in one day, organized the department for adult education, and created a curriculum. They named it “The business grandmas club”.  

We were going to teach business and we needed a computer. But since nobody knew computers, we had to organize a program for computer literacy. Now you can study it everywhere, but back then – it didn’t exist. So, we came with our own computers and started learning. And I started writing everything down. You push a button – a light comes on, etc. All in great detail – how to hold a mouse, how to keep your hand.  

I was not too lazy: I typed these instructions with one finger, my husband gave me the money, and I published this book myself. 

By that time, my organization “The business grandmas club” was a member of the “Silver age” alliance of non-profit organizations of Povolzhye. And I was invited to participate in a panel discussion in Samara. 

I took my book with me, and I put it on the table. People started looking at it, passing it around, taking photos, and sharing them. The information about my book was sent to a journalist from Komsomol Pravda. He came and interviewed me. This is how the ACT publishing house found me. 

How did you decide on such large-scale changes? Were there doubts, fears, how did you deal with them? 

First, what was there to fear? I’ve worked for 19.5 years at a military plant. Clearance, very closed social circle… What can you be afraid of after this? I was so steeled after this – nothing was scary at all. 

In your opinion, what character traits helped you become who you are? 

Perseverance. If I am not accepted somewhere, I don’t give up. They will not accept me? No. This kind of thought process is not mine. I borrowed it from a friend. She used to say “I – will fail? No!” 

Lubov – how do you define the mission for your Club and its activities? 

Many people come to us because they want to socialize. Not everyone wants to walk in a park, not everyone likes knitting, not everyone is singing, not everyone is dancing, and even on Facebook – not everyone is posting their recipes. People with interesting lives come to our club. Some of them lost their spouses. I am helping them, and they are helping me. For example, one of the practices that help us is qigong. One of my business grandmas tells me: “Lubov – create instructions for qigong”. So, now I am writing a manual “Qigong to the rescue”. 

We help people to adapt to the new reality, to the ever-changing world. We help them to find their own place and to start feeling better. 

What would you tell people who worry that “this is it – after 25-30-40-50 life is over”, etc.? 

I want to tell you one thing – I really didn’t want to bring it up. Life is very short. Right now, I often read online “Oh God! My spouse is an idiot, my kids are good for nothing, I have no money, I hate my job.” God is listening to all of that and thinking “Here, it’s all clear. Should I give them more time?”. When someone at 25 doesn’t have any energy – it is not their fault. They need to seek professional help. Very often, when they say “pull yourself together” – this doesn’t work. You can’t pull yourself together, you need professional help. And seeking such help is absolutely normal.