publisher’s letter
Has it Been SIXTY YEARS ALREADY? The mission of BOOM! is to serve the folks of the River Region age 50 plus with information and ideas to inspire new experiences, better quality of life and new beginnings.
Publisher/Editor Jim Watson
jim@riverregionboom.com
Associate Editor Kelly Watson
kelly@riverregionboom.com
Research Editor Wendy McCollum
wendy@riverregionboom.com
Opinion Research Jo Newell
jo@riverregionboom.com
Contributing Writers Dr. Bettie Borton
Barbara Graham Rod Hagwood Suzanne F. McNeely Bill Reed Scotty Scott
Alisa Singer
Cover Photography Jamie Martin Photography
dave@davemartinphotography.com
Advertising
Jim Watson, 334.324.3472 jim@riverregionboom.com
Design & Layout Lake House Graphics
Distribution
Chris Johnson, Wendy McCollum, Amy Murray, Richard Ward, Lesa Youngblood
Printing
Publications Press, Montgomery, AL 334.244.0436
Please Recycle This Magazine, Share with a Friend!
I
t was a glorious day, January 31, 1950. My parents were very excited to have their fourth child and after three wonderful girls they finally had a beautiful baby boy, me. Little did they know at the time, my birth made me an exclusive member of the Baby Boomer Generation, born between 1946 and 1964. And if you’re reading this premier issue of BOOM you may be a Boomer, too. They’re here, there and everywhere. Boomers are the largest generation in U.S. history, with 78 million people nationally and more than 100,000 in the River Region communities of Montgomery, Prattville, Wetumpka and Millbrook.
BOOM was created to help local Boomers get the most out of their adventures, challenges and inspirations. We’re interested in your lifestyle and each of you approaches life differently depending on your lifestage. Some of you are Grandparents, Empty Nesters, Parents, Singles and Caregivers. The reality is you may be in many lifestages all at once. You may want to know about nurturing relationships with the grandkids or finding Mr. Right. You may want information on how to use your time to benefit others or pursue that entrepreneurial dream. You may want to finally pick up that guitar or provide the best possible care for your aging parent. Whatever your interests, BOOM wants to share information that will be helpful in your lifestage pursuits. Jim Watson, Publisher
Being a Boomer is about attitude. That’s why I don’t feel like it’s been 60 years since I was born. I want to remain relevant, especially to my grandchildren, so I try to seek what’s “cool” and avoid “fuddy duddy”, which is defined as old fashioned and fussy. Know anyone like that? Most Boomers do not see themselves as “Seniors” or “Getting Older.” Instead they are “Aging” and believe they have many “Good years left.” When we’re 60 we believe we’ll get to 100! Boomers own 65% of the net worth of all U.S. households which means they have the resources to reinvent themselves every 3-5 years through new experiences and a desire to add more memories to their young thinking brains. Let’s see, I’m 60, so does that mean I’m the new 50? Most of us try to think younger than our years, but sometimes a late night or a day with the grandkids will make you feel your real age and the related pains of aging.
When I arrived in Montgomery in 1981, I was greeted by Sim Byrd and Joe Mussafer. During my interview they said Montgomery was a good place to raise a family. That sounded good, so I accepted their job offer to help them build a new wine business; and my late wife, Marty, and I proceeded to raise a family. Since Marty passed away four years ago, I’ve been redefining my future and now want to share some new ideas with my community, including BOOM. Marty was a terrific ambassador for Montgomery and the River Region. She embraced the quality of life found here and shared it with as many people who would listen. She’s still a terrific model for promoting our community and BOOM will share her philosophy. This is our premier issue and I hope you like what we’ve done. Please give BOOM a good look and share your thoughts. Most importantly, help us produce a better magazine by sharing ideas on what information you want included in BOOM. If you want to participate as a writer, salesperson, photographer, etc., let me know. I also want to thank our advertisers for helping us launch this premier issue. They are our customers and we’ll bring passion, experience and expertise to help each one of our advertisers grow their business when they advertise to BOOM readers. We ask one favor; please share BOOM with friends, family and neighbors. Finally, thanks to the River Region community. It has always been a great place to call home.
Jim
jim@riverregionboom.com 334.324.3472 cell/text
4 BOOM!
July 2010
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine