Where's Our Free Time?

That was the promise - oh, and world peace. We were suppose to have world peace.

I’m writing this shortly after we put Ryan back on the plane to Africa. Talk about a difficult task. We won’t see him again for more than a year.

This has been the busiest spring I can remember. Springs are always demanding in our family – everyone schedules a birthday or something – but this spring had too much.

Within a four-day period, we had:
1) the first store signing of my new book
2) Mother’s Day
3) our granddaughter’s fifth birthday
4) Ryan’s painful (for us) return to the Peace Corps
5) Vicki’s and my 30th anniversary  [yes, she was four years old when I married her]

If you extend that period a little on either side, you could throw in
6) Ryan’s birthday
7) Jamie’s college graduation
8) her boyfriend’s graduation
9) my week-long book tour

On top of that, of course, was putting this issue of Boomer Life out.

I’m not looking for sympathy [Clearly I AM looking for sympathy]. I’m just doing what everybody is doing these days. Think about it. Many if not most boomers are still working, plus taking care of children (or trying to figure how to pay for their schooling) and some are taking care of parents, as well. For those who thought life would get, if not easier, at least simpler, well, we find ourselves in the same position as Bogart. He had come to Casablanca for his health, he said, for the waters. “The waters? What waters? We’re in the desert,” Claude Rains says. Bogey answers: “I was misinformed.” [Still the greatest movie line ever]

OK, so we were misinformed. If we thought life would get easier or simpler, well, it hasn’t. We don’t have jet packs, either. And world peace is still a long ways off.

But most of us do have the opportunity to make choices important to us. Life is choices. And even in the chaos of life, friends and family seem a good choice to make. Along those lines, we’ve got several stories to help. Entertaining friends is something many of us put off – it’s too difficult, too time-consuming. It needn’t be.

And connecting with family and friends may never be easier than it is now, thanks to social networking. And finally, we’re launching a new section – Your Boomer life – with how-to’s on simplifying your Money, Health and Caregiving.

Still seems like there’s a lot on our plates these days, doesn’t it?

Only if we look at it that way. As the line goes, we have time to rest when we’re dead.

IN THIS ISSUE ~~~~~~~~~~~~
I always loved reading Daniel Neman. Not that I always agreed with him. How can a man dog a James Bond film, after all? Richmond Times-Dispatch readers know what I'm talking about. If Dan panned a movie that they like - and when didn't Dan pan a movie they liked? - they were all over him. But that's only becuse Dan refused to cut badly made films any slack. He wrote well, and nobody can say the man doesn't know movies.

So when Dan was caught up in the Times-Dispatch's most recent talent dump, we were all over him. We are thrilled that Dan now will be writing a regular feature in Boomer Life.

Then every Friday, Dan will write an exclusive online movie review. So like or dislike, tell us what you think of the movie Dan reviewed - and of Dan's reviews. (Please, people ... no profanity.) As for me, I will just read and enjoy all of Dan's reviews without commenting.

Unless he pans the next Bond flick.

We've got a good June/July issue here. Bill Bevins has an interview with Kenny Loggins - yes, that Kenny Loggins. Jann Malone has a good one with writer Emyl Jenkins. Terri L. Jones has written a savvy piece on Southern hospitality for summer, which we've paired with a story of tips by Suzanne Wolsetenholme of Homemades by Suzanne catering. Paula Neely has treated us to an inside look at luxury apartments, for boomer entering a different phase of their lives. And Lisa Schaffner is 'Giving Back.'

Betty Booker and Randy Fitzgerald have written funny columns. Paul Spicer and Jeff Kelley have teamed up to look at boomers entering the world of social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Jeff, by the way is another former Times-Dispatch writer making his Boomer Life debut. So is Randy Hallman, writing here about how, during this economy, taking care of your mortgage may be the single best thing you can do.

And for those who feel the need for speed, we've got Martha Steger's tips of a high-speed getaway to Virginia International Raceway and Steve Clark's tale of record-setting horsemen at Colonial Downs.

Saddle up, everybody.



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Contact Ray at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For more on his books, visit www.RayMcAllister.com.