Every Photo Tells a Story

My dad was born on July 22, 1926. Today would've been his 86th birthday but he died of heart disease in 1983 at the young age of 57. Yes, I miss my dad. I was very close to him---much closer to him than I am my mother, who is still alive, but that's not what this blog post is about.

This blog is about the photo you see to the left. It was my dad's high school graduation picture---taken in 1944. I never saw this picture until after my father passed away because he apparently never kept a copy or it was lost somewhere. But I do recall him telling me the story behind the photograph.

The photographer who was originally hired to take the pictures of the graduating class backed out when he discovered he was photographing "negroes." According to my dad, one of the students in his class went home and told his dad about the situation and his dad made arrangements with the school to take the graduation photos. This dad was a farmer who apparently had an interest in photography but couldn't get any steady work in the field because of his race.

He proceeded to take pictures of the graduating class---all 19 of them. My dad says he doesn't know if the school paid him for his services but he remembers his mother (my grandmother) sending him to school with some change to give the school when he picked up his picture.

Had it not been for this unknown photographer, I probably would've thought my dad never graduated from high school.

AARP Tests the Spelling Skills of Baby Boomers

Back in 1996, a group of AARP members in Cheyenne, Wyoming decided to create an AARP National Spelling Bee. This was their fun way of challenging their peers to keep their minds sharp as they age.

Seventeen years later, the spelling bee is still going strong. The 17th annual event will be held August 11, 2012, at The Little America Hotel and Resort in Cheyenne. It's open to anyone age 50 or older who compete for gifts and prizes.

The competition begins at 8:30am and is free to spectators.

In addition to spelling bee, visitors will enjoy exploring historic museums and hotels, and nearby attractions; shopping at western-themed stores; or finding a special treasure among the many art galleries. The Laramie County Library, named Best Library of the Year in 2009 by Library Journal magazine, is a popular attraction for spellers.

Visitors will receive a special rate at Little America Hotel and Resort, which includes a free round of golf, by calling the hotel directly at 800-445-6945 (rate NOT available online). Details of all Cheyenne events and attractions, and additional lodging options, are available online at www.cheyenne.org.

Black Baby Boomers Remember Mayberry Too

"For many baby boomers, the loss of Andy Griffith earlier this week was like a death in the family." This was the opening sentence in an article I read the other day in the Winnepeg Free Press about the death of Andy Griffith.

Yes, Andy Griffith transformed himself into Sheriff Andy Taylor weekly on our television screen when I was a child and I actually believed there was a town somewhere in North Carolina called Mayberry. He, Aunt Bea, Opie, Barney and the rest of the townspeople gave us an up close and personal look at what small town living was like back in the day. Andy wasn't your typical sheriff who used his badge to strong arm folks. If I'm not mistaken, he didn't even carry a gun.

In Mayberry, you could leave your doors open and your car doors unlocked. When you walked down the street everyone greeted you and you certainly didn't have to worry about out-of-control children, drugs and crime. The worst crime ever committed in Mayberry was when someone stole some chickens from a farm and had to spend a night or two in jail.

You always saw ladies wearing dresses and the men were always respectful.


Could that be why we never saw any blacks on the show?

Do the Children of Black Baby Boomers Lack Motivation to Carry the Torch

This post was inspired by an article I read in the Buffalo News .

The article in the Buffalo News was titled: Black community suffers when no one steps up to keep businesses running. The article focused on a 71-year-old black man who cashed in his life savings to start his own business 41-years ago. Now he wants to retire but there's no one around to take over. His grown children, according to the article,are turned off by the long hours and the responsibilities so they don't want to carry the torch. The business owner now fears his worst nightmare: his business will fold.

The article further states the absence of succession plans to carry black-owned businesses into the next generation is a national problem with far-reaching implications. The phenomenon derails economic momentum, preventing a transfer and accumulation of wealth, and it can confine black communities to lingering poverty. It erodes the hard-fought gains of the previous generation, handicapping and forcing the next generation of entrepreneurs to start their ventures from scratch.

So what happened? Why is it that the children of black baby boomers lack the desire to follow in their parents footsteps---especially if their parents have laid out a clear path for them? Do the children of black boomers also feel a sense of entitlement as their white counter-parts?

Or perhaps it's OUR FAULT? According to the National Black Chamber of Commerce, only 15 percent of the nation's 2.1 million black-owned companies have identified and groomed successors. Have we not taught our children enough about the value of owning your own business and what it means to hand it down to the next generation?

Perhaps it's a combination of both.

AARP and Baby Boomer Men are on Fire

Who says men are the only ones who can have "eye candy?"

Imagine my pleasant surprise when I saw who was gracing the cover of the summer edition of AARP magazine....none other than DENZEL WASHINGTON! So what if it's only a picture. It still looks good enough to drive any baby boomer woman crazy and he is definitely EYE CANDY (no disrespect to his lovely wife Pauletta).

Denzel is one of 21 baby boomer men who are honored in the June/July issue of AARP the Magazine in its first ever “Men on Fire” list. Blazing with soul, style, and sex appeal, these 21 men are a hot mix of lovers, thinkers, and rebels.

The “Men on Fire” list includes a handsome assortment of men, including actors Colin Firth, Antonio Banderas, Liam Neeson and Samuel Jackson, musicians Yo- Yo Ma and Jon Bon Jovi.

“Our readers understand that sex appeal is ageless, so we thought a feature on the sexiest men over 50 would be a great way to kick off summer, ” said Nancy Perry Graham, editor-in-chief of AARP The Magazine. She's got that right!

Personally, I'm glad to see more lists like this coming out to honor our baby boomer men. Boomer Diva Nation was the FIRST to do it in 2010

Although the AARP Magaine doesn't come out until Thursday, May 24, you can check out the online version NOW at www.aarp.org/magazine.

Nearly Half of Baby Boomers May Die Without a Will

Remember that old saying: "Up the creek without a paddle." Well, it appears some baby boomers may be swimming in the deep end of the pool when it comes to leaving a last Will and Testament.

According to RocketLawyer.com, nearly half of Americans are taking a big risk with their family's future by not having a Will. When it comes to protecting digital assets (Facebook account, online photos, passwords), 63 percent of respondents say they don't know what happens to their digital assets when they die.

Sixty-one percent say they don't believe its important to provide for a pet in a Will.

If you die without a last will (known as dying "intestate"), the state will decide how your property is distributed. In community property states, this means that your community property will be given to your spouse (or domestic partner in some states.)

According to legalzoom.com, any property that is not given to your spouse will be distributed to the following people, in this order:

Your children, or if they are not alive, their children
Your parents
Your brothers and sisters or, if they are not alive, their children
Your grandparents or, if they are not alive, their children (i.e., your uncles and aunts)
The children of your deceased spouse
Any relatives of your deceased spouse
The state of your legal residence

Baby Boomers Restaurant Closes Its Doors But Needs No Bailout

After more than seven years in business, the restaurant in Des Moines, IA made famous by President Barack Obama has officially closed its doors.

The restaurant, known as Baby Boomers, became a huge hit with the community and the nation after candidate Barrack Obama named their chocolate chip cookies his favorite during his first presidential campaign.

He even asked for them in Iowa City during a campaign stop last week.

The owner says if it wasn't for Barack Obama, he probably would've closed up shop a long time ago. He said the President and First Family boosted business at Baby Boomers more than he could have ever dreamed.

The owners said they will continue to make their signature cookies but now they can also live a little.

Okay Mr. President, do you and the First Lady like to read because I've got a couple of books for sale.