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Time to embark on a new journey

By ROBERT N. JENKINS
Published March 28, 2006

How are you feeling this morning? Seriously. Are you cowering in the corner, certain that the next time there is a knock on the door, you'll open it to find the Grim Reaper - and he's not there to borrow a cup of Metamucil?

If so, you probably aren't going to find much reason to wait for your copy of Seniority each month.

That's because as the new editor, I plan to change its focus. As a matter of fact, I'm trying to convince my bosses that we need to change the name, perhaps to Fix Bayonets! - because this magazine's readers are charging forward.

Who are these readers?

We have no hard and fast age cutoff in mind, but let's say everyone over 45 should be finding something in the magazine that interests them.

Generally, those folks are the best educated, best traveled, healthiest and wealthiest generations in American history. We do more, and want to do more, than our parents could afford to do.

You may have read the article on the St. Petersburg Times' front page earlier this month noting the U.S. Census Bureau report on that population group that has been the darling of the media for about 15 years - the generation known as baby boomers.

Born to couples after the fathers returned home from World War II, those children started turning 60 this year.

A book to be published in April notes that among the celebrities turning 60 in 2006 are Candice Bergen, Diane Keaton, Dolly Parton, Susan Sarandon and all the biological parts of Cher. But it's not just a woman thing. Legendary football stars Larry Czonka and "Mean'' Joe Green, Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner and comedian Cheech Marin will also reach the milestone.

What the census experts reported was staggering in its implications:

n The number of Americans 65 and older is expected to double within 25 years. By 2030, roughly one of every five Americans will be at least 65.

n Although health issues seem to be in the news constantly, the overall health of older Americans has improved to the point that the age group of 85 and older already is the fastest-growing segment of the population.

n And though too many older people have too little money to live on, the actual percentage of those at least 65 who are living below federal poverty levels has dropped to 10 percent in 2003, down from 35 percent in 1959.

n Meanwhile, the level of education in the country has soared in the past half-century. In 1950 only 3.4 percent of the population had at least a bachelor's degree; in 2003 it was 17.4 percent. And the estimate is that by 2030, the number will be 25 percent.

But those numbers merely point to the aging of America. And I mean aging, not graying. So, this magazine will reflect on, and I hope appeal to, older people who are more independent, more adventuresome, more curious than previous generations.

Who am I to choose what articles should be in Seniority? I'm 62 and have been married - this time - for 31 years.

My wife, Dianne, is that rarity, a native of St. Petersburg. Our two sons are in college in Florida. I also have two older children and three grandchildren.

I have been working as a newspaper reporter or editor since graduating with a B.A. in journalism from Michigan State University in 1965.

In the coming months, you'll find articles in the magazine that address both the serious concerns and the vitality of what some people call the "masters generation.''

I want to hear from you. Although I will be taking some trips this year to write for the Travel section, usually I'll be at my desk Monday through Friday. Call me at 727 893-8496, send e-mail to bjenkins@sptimes.com or write to me at P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.

[Last modified March 28, 2006, 09:12:37]