I bought a violin as my retirement present to myself, and intend to get into our local symphony. So far so good. 

When I was a child, I had a hard time finding a teacher who would take me. At the age of 12  I was too old! The prevailing wisdom back then was that you should start at five years old, or so. I ended up taking trumpet lessons, and even my trumpet teacher said 12 years old was probably too old. 

Within four years I was playing in the Delta Youth Orchestra, and worked my way up over the years to 1st chair. Talent? None to speak of. It was all hard work, and I'm a slow learner. 

I'm treating the fiddle as though it were a 9-5 job, getting up at 3 or 4 AM, practicing until 6, having breakfast, practicing again until 8, stopping for coffee and the tv news, playing for fun from 10-:00 to noon, lunch and coffee, practice until 2, another break, play until whenever, usually 4:00 PM. Got the fiddle (a cheap-o) the last week of October, 2018, recently hit the limit of its abilities, am waiting for its entry-level professional replacement. Am now playing and sight-reading at a level good enough to lay viola in an orchestra. I have a professional viola for the purpose. 

I'm encouraged by reading about oldsters who manage to play at a high level, making into orchestras, fulfilling a dream or two. The prevailing "wisdom" still exists out there to some extent, but boy is it satisfying to prove 'em wrong!