publisher’s letter
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
Who’s Up for a Road Trip? A
s husbands we know our wives are better suited and skilled to manage certain aspects of our married lives. Sometimes it’s the shopping, organizing a party or how well they attend to our grandchildren. My wife loved her grandchildren very much, just like most grandmothers I know. She was showing them lots of love and I was watching, probably hoping I would get some of that love, too, and I did. But when she died, I realized my relationship with my five grandchildren needed some nurturing, which is not always a man’s best quality. I wanted to be my grandchildren’s favorite grandparent and without my wife to lead the way I needed to rethink my role in their lives.
Associate Editor Kelly Watson
kelly@riverregionboom.com
Research Editor Wendy McCollum
wendy@riverregionboom.com
Opinion Research Jo Newell
jo@riverregionboom.com
Contributing Writers Lori Basheda
Dr. Bettie Borton
Barbara Graham Kelly Jackson Bethany Kandel Amy Schulman Scotty Scott
Amy Sherman
Cover Photography
Maria Wiggins, Reflections of Grace clay.maria@gmail.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!
For me, it was about my legacy. What will my legacy be? What will my grandchildren receive from me? A few material things will offer sentimental value, but for me it’s the memories and experiences of our relationships that will matter most. How will they describe me when I’m gone? What qualities will they observe and adopt as their own? Will I remain relevant or just become out of style in their contemporary world? With all this deep thought behind me, let me just say, the legacy I leave my grandkids will be based on the relationship I have with each one of them for the rest of our lives. Jim Watson, Publisher
Three summers ago, I came up with the idea of taking my three grandsons on a road trip to share new experiences and to nurture our relationships. My grandkids call me “Pop” so I called it “Pop’s Road Trip”. After traveling 1,829 miles, we all discovered it was great fun to hang out with each other. Every destination along the way was a surprise… The Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY, the four hour canoe trip in Mammouth Cave National Park and King’s Island Amusement Park outside Cincinnati, where our goal was to ride the world’s longest wooden roller coaster, called The Beast! The element of surprise was important, anticipation and excitement grew throughout the trip and we met all expectations! Recently, we had the inaugural “Pop’s Road Trip, Girls Only” where I took my two granddaughters, Anna and Katie, along with my close friend, Jo, to Chicago. We had many surprises along the way, including Michael Jackson’ s childhood home, courtside seats at a WNBA Professional Women’s Basketball Game and autographs after, as well as shopping on The Magnificent Mile. On every road trip, we learn and laugh together. We connect, our relationships grow and the love is real. It’s great to invest time in your grandkids; the dividend could possibly be a cherished legacy no money could ever buy.
I like surprises and we offer some ideas in this issue of BOOM on how to get started surprising your grandkids, along with tips on keeping yourself from injury when you’re hanging out with them. “When I grow up…” is a theme for the new TV spots for AARP that show Boomers saying, “When I grow up I’m going to start a band” or “When I grow up I’m going to run a marathon,” and so on. This month we feature an 85-year-old woman who has a bucket list of things to do and she’ll remind you it’s never too late to pursue your dreams. I want to mention one of our regular departments; we call it 12 Things. It’s kind of like our calendar and it’s simple and easy to digest. It’s for Boomers and beyond who may want to explore new events or experiences. Let’s face it, if we do one or two things a month like this, life can get a little busy! If you have something unique going on drop me an email. That’s what Belinda Bazinet did when she shared information about the Titus Bluegrass Festival happening September 25. If you do participate or attend one of the 12 Things, let me know how it was and if you’d recommend it in the future. Finally, Thanks to Pam and Doug Cook for participating in our Peter Frampton Concert Giveaway. They won and had a fantastic time, even at their ages! There’s a lot of rock and roll left in all of us. The Cooks will probably want to enter our Enjoy the Day Giveaway this month on page 17. Maybe you will, too! Since its Grandparents Day on September 12th, I hope all of you get to hang out with the grandkids so they’ll begin to experience your legacy.
Jim
jim@riverregionboom.com 334.324.3472 cell/text
6 BOOM!
September 2010
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine