Bachelor Happy Hour – Golden Hour: “Kathy & Susan’s Crash Course on Aging”

Original Air Date: December 11, 2025
Featured Hosts: Kathy and Susan
Podcast: Bachelor Happy Hour (iHeartPodcasts & Warner Bros)

Episode Overview

This episode of “Bachelor Happy Hour – Golden Hour” is a candid, witty, and heartfelt conversation between Kathy and Susan (alums from The Golden Bachelor) about the realities of aging. Dispensing personal anecdotes and sharp wisdom, they tackle the challenges and unexpected joys of growing older, focusing on topics like physical changes, shifting relationships, visibility, and the evolving meaning of legacy. With a dash of signature sass and lots of laughter, Kathy and Susan aim to celebrate aging as more than just a number.

Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. Processing Change and Facing Physical Realities

• Opening reflections: Both share the rapid passage of time and inevitable physical changes.
  • Notable Moment (04:30): Susan jokes about her ex-husband turning 69, and the swift move to 70.
• Owning physical aging: They humorously discuss discovering new “wrinkles” and aches, but also highlight the importance of staying active.
  • Quote: “I look in the mirror every day and, you know, after 70, I wake up and, oh, that didn’t hurt yesterday. Motion is lotion. So I keep moving.” – Kathy (05:53)

2. The Meaning of Legacy and Passing It On

• Reflection on family and holiday traditions: Kathy shares how aging changes her perspective on legacy—what she'll leave to her children and how family history gains value.
  • (08:10): “[Aging is] imparting to my children the important things that were in my life and my grandparents’ life... Otherwise, if I kicked the bucket tomorrow, my kids would not know.” – Kathy
• Realization about ‘stuff’: As they get older, sentimental value grows but attachment to material goods fades.

3. Evolving Friendships and Social Circles

• Reduced social circles: Both hosts agree that, with age, quality trumps quantity in friendships.
  • “Volumes of friends aren’t as important. Quality friends are important.” – Kathy (10:14)
• Letting go of negative energy: Susan and Kathy both intentionally distance themselves from draining or negative friends.
• Deeper connections: They express gratitude for recent, deeply meaningful friendships, highlighting how these are now the ones they nurture.

4. Shifts in Personality and Perspective

• Personal growth & flexibility: Kathy notes she’s become less rigid with age, finding more contentment and adaptability.
  • (19:31): “I used to be incredibly rigid...Now I want to be happy.”
• Lessons from age: The hosts agree that aging teaches one not to sweat the small stuff, and that cherished relationships and memorable experiences matter most.
  • “I wish that youth is wasted on the young. If I knew then what I know now.” – Susan (20:38)

5. Intergenerational Change: Technology and Social Skills

• Technology’s role: They lament how technology has altered relationships and communication for younger generations.
• Decreased real-life connection: Both perceive that in-person, meaningful conversation is rarer among younger folks.
  • “I see interpersonal relationships not as strong because people are online. It’s a text—it’s not an in-person visit.” – Kathy (22:13)

6. Aging and Visibility: Social and Romantic Impacts

• Feeling invisible: Kathy notes that, especially in dating, older women often feel less visible or valued.
  • “I have to work harder to be seen in a general way in the dating world…” – Kathy (26:21)
• Double standards in dating: Discussion around how, after a certain age, men have more opportunities because younger women seek them out, and there are fewer available men compared to women.
  • “Women go after younger men, but I think men as they age…have had so many more opportunities.” – Kathy (28:16)

7. Choosing an Active and Engaged Life

• Staying active: Activity is seen as vital to maintaining energy and spirit with age, but both admit to making excuses.
• Trying new things: They praise openness to new hobbies and experiences to keep life fulfilling.
  • “Never stop learning. Never stop enjoying life. And I think that’s what aging—that’s why you and I are holding the banner for changing the definition of aging.” – Kathy (38:54)
• Personal responsibility: Kathy challenges the “aging sucks” narrative, insisting much is still within one’s control.
  • “Aging sucks if you let it suck, if you let it take you down—like anything else, it will.” – Kathy (42:14)

8. Changing Priorities: Experiences Over “Stuff”

• Experiential gifts: They increasingly value time and shared experiences with grandchildren and loved ones, prioritizing memory-making over material presents.
  • “I’m much more about experiences now. I am much more about spending…my time. It is quality time with my grandchildren.” – Kathy (46:46)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On physical change & humor:
  “I tried on a dress and in the back I go, I have a Shar Pei. When did that happen?” – Susan (05:20)
• On downsizing and legacy:
  “When you’re younger, you spend years amassing china, silver, linens…now I’m thinking: what do I want my legacy to be?” – Kathy (05:53–08:10)
• On friendship quality:
  “I’m not as interested in having volumes of friends as I am in having deep relationships with fewer people.” – Kathy (12:20)
• On shifting priorities:
  “Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy? I wanted to be right. Now I want to be happy.” – Kathy (19:31)
• On getting out of one’s comfort zone:
  “You gotta push yourself, you gotta get out.” – Susan (29:53)
• On self-care:
  “We should be investing in ourselves.” – Kathy (38:04)
• On societal double standards:
  “Do you think that golden men are treated differently than golden women?” – Kathy (29:33)
• On making memories:
  “A memory—making a memory, right? So when you’re gone, they’ll think back and go, ‘I remember when we did this.’” – Susan (47:01)
• Signature banter:
  “I’m not letting [aging] take me down. You still think it sucks. It sucks! I forget things. I’m more forgetful…” – Susan (42:14)
  “Aging ain’t all bad.” – Kathy (42:58)

Key Timestamps

• 03:48 — 05:53: Opening banter, physical changes, the reality of new aches and wrinkles.
• 05:53 — 09:34: Legacy, family history, meaningful traditions, and imparting values to the next generation.
• 09:34 — 13:18: Shifting friendships, letting go of negativity, nurturing deeper connections.
• 19:23 — 21:21: How personality and outlook can change for the better with age.
• 22:13 — 23:54: Reflections on technology and differences with younger generations.
• 24:30 — 27:21: Feeling invisible as one ages, especially in dating; the double standards at play.
• 28:16 — 30:27: The gendered experience of aging, particularly in romance and social opportunities.
• 36:32 — 38:54: Being proactive—trying new things, staying social and fulfilled.
• 42:14 — 43:16: Confronting the “aging sucks” narrative and reasserting agency.
• 46:31 — 47:11: Gifting experiences, making meaningful memories for grandchildren.

Takeaways and Episode Tone

Kathy and Susan create a relatable, spirited “crash course” on aging, blending playful banter with sentimental wisdom. Their discussion puts a spotlight on the challenges of aging while offering listeners affirming, actionable advice: cherish relationships, invest in self-care, remain curious and open to new experiences, and—above all—don’t let aging define or diminish your zest for life.

The episode ends on a humorous, determined note:

• “I, for one, plan to never age.” – Kathy (48:30)