“At seudas shlishis, surrounded by his talmidim, Reb Shlomo once spoke passionately about the desire to change, to truly grow. He suddenly stopped and looked around at the faces of his listeners, and he realized that they didn’t truly believe that it was still possible to change. He held his grey beard and began to shout, ‘I am the youngest one here!'”
“In a shmuess during aseres yemei teshuva, Reb Shlomo explained what it means to ‘be young.’ He shared a conversation that he had recently had with an elderly woman. Mrs. Gringold was a Russian woman of over one hundred years who resided in a local nursing home. Rebbi used to visit her often and speak with her”…………….”Rebbi paused when he completed the story and looked around. ‘Who is old and who is young? You who are in your twenties but cynical and mistrustful about your ability to change, are old. Mrs. Gringold, who is still trying, is young!'”
(Reb Shlomo- The Life and Legacy of Reb Shlomo Freifeld by Rabbi Yisroel Besser,Judaica Press)