The old saying has it that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. That may be true of some old dogs, but people can make drastic changes late in life that do indeed amount to new tricks. Older people marry or divorce. They start new businesses. They learn a new language or a new musical instrument. They convert to a different religion. I know, because I have recently become a convert (although not to a religion). My mother taught me to knit when I was 11 years old. No, I am not changing the subject. Read on. I was …