No More Thinking About the End

It may seem odd to many boomers and other old folks, but I don’t fear death.

Now in my mid-70s, I’ve reached many of the goals set many years ago. I never expected life to go on forever — and wouldn’t want it to. After so many trips around the Sun, it can get kinda boring.

But have you ever considered a few of the positives about kicking the proverbial bucket?

• No more filing state and federal income taxes. That means no longer have to keep track of everything you do during the previous years before filing.
• No more having to replace vehicles, appliances, and other devices.
• No more grieving over the passing of relatives, friends, and pets.
• No more visits to various doctors for whatever procedures to keep you from dying.
• No more telephone calls from spammers trying to sell you a car warranty, medicare supplement, or life insurance.
• No more worries about political polarization, climate change, and pollution.
• No more concerns about the price of gasoline, groceries, and prescriptions.
• No more reading about mass murders and senseless gun violence.
• No more worrying about getting rid of the clutter collected over the years.
• No more upgrading smartphones, computers, laptops, and tablets.
• No more having to deal with toxic people.
• No more seeing and reading about the atrocities of war.
• No more having to take your vehicles in to be serviced or repaired.
• No more thinking about home security.
• No more contending with those who have road rage.
• No more having to face rude, disrespectful, and pretentious people.
• No more answering the front door and seeing religious missionaries, political aspirants, or strangers collecting money for various fundraisers.
• No more deadlines because you’re finally dead.

There’s more I could add to the list, but you get the idea. I bet there are a lot of things you would include.

In the meantime, I’ll wake up each morning and do those things I find challenging, worthwhile, and fulfilling. And then go to bed each night, hoping I accomplished something. But I won’t lose sleep over it — unless it’s getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.

Maybe death is a final blessing from the pain, the mundane, and the insane we’ve encountered throughout our lives.

Until the next time . . .

(This post originally appeared at Medium.com)

Movies for Boomers: The Last Movie Star

While surfing the many cable channels I chanced upon "The Last Movie Star" on The Movie Channel. It was one of Burt Reynolds's last films. And it was memorable. 

Reynolds was a mega-star during his heyday in Hollywood, gaining exposure in TV's "Gunsmoke" in the 1960s, the "Smokey and the Bandit" series in the '70s and '80s, "Boogie Nights" in the '90s and many more in a resume that includes 185 acting credits. He was the box-office king from 1978-82.

But back to "The Last Movie Star." Reynolds stars as Vic Edwards, an aging actor who is persuaded by his friend Sonny, played by Chevy Chase, to go to Nashville to receive a lifetime achievement award from the local film festival. He discovers it's a low-budget operation that's run by dedicated movie lovers.

It turns into a journey of self-discovery as Edwards comes to terms with his past glory and present situation. He takes a side trip to Knoxville, where he reflects on pre-movie days while seeing his childhood home, walking across the football field at Neyland Stadium where he was a star at the University of Tennessee, and seeking to find an old girlfriend at a nursing home.

The Adam Rifkin-directed movie (originally titled "Dog Years") was released in February 2018, six months before Reynolds's death at 82. It's a touching film on several levels, from Edwards's coming to terms with his life to the film festival's organizers who withstand his initial verbal abuse.

Another reason I enjoyed the film is that it was an honest depiction of aging. Reynolds wasn't dressed up to look like a hunky octogenarian. He used a cane, his bushy eyebrows weren't trimmed, and he took numerous meds. It was to Reynolds's credit that he played the role "as is."

The film features flashbacks to "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Deliverance," so there's bound to be some who see a parallel between lead character and Reynolds. 

Besides Chase, the movie features a strong supporting cast including Ariel Winter, Clark Duke, Al-Jaleel Knox, Ellar Coltrane, and Kathleen Nolan (remember her from "The Real McCoys?")

Click here to see a trailer from the movie.

Until the next time . . .

One Step Toward Publication

My manuscript is in the hands of my editor and now I have a publication date: Feb. 1, 2021. It will be the fourth novel in the John Ross Boomer Lit series.  

I submitted the 95,000-word novel to her three times. Usually, one time is enough. The reason is I found two words used too often. She's busy with other manuscripts so perhaps it'll save her some time when she gets to mine.

One word was found on a routine Find search I do after completing a work in progress for specific words. I neglected to do it for a particular word. I don't know why the word skipped my brain. My bad. 

The second time came after I learned my original title had been used by a fellow Wings ePress author in 2019. I ran another Find on some keywords and discovered another word used excessively and needlessly in some places. 

By the way, after two days of wracking my aging boomer brain, I came up with a new title. I'll disclose it in the near future when there's a cover. 

Now there might be a few other words that fall into that category. My editor has a keen eye and will let me know. And when I receive her edited copy, I may run across some more during the editing. 

Until the next time . . .

Manuscript Finally Finished

The manuscript I have been working on for more than a year is now in the capable hands of my editor. For the next few weeks, I will take a break from the editing and rewriting that has dominated my life.

The manuscript, the fourth book in the John Ross Boomer Lit Series, is 95k words. Over the course of a year, and 10 rewrites, it doubled in size. By the way, this is my 10th novel and 14th book. I may have to go out and celebrate when it's published and the pandemic is over. 

My goal was to finish by July 31. I did submit the manuscript on that date, but I must confess, that after sleeping on it, I resubmitted it this morning with a couple additions that tied together loose ends. I promised my editor she wouldn't be hearing from me with any changes, edits, and whatevers. The next move will be hers, when she returns it with edits, suggested edits, and whatnots. 

I was hoping this novel would see the light of day by the end of this year, but that's doubtful. It's my fault for dragging my butt for a few months. I'll keep you posted when I hear something from the publisher. 

Be sure and check out the August releases from Wings ePress including a new novel, Divine Rebel, from friend Tom Wallace as well as Thomas Fenske's Penumbra, and Peggy P. Parsons's Apitcote. 

The title of my new novel? I'll let you know once I sign a contract. 

Until the next time . . .

More for Boomers -- OK Boomer

An interesting story I read this week compared the generation label "boomer" to the "N" word. 

According to news reports, Rochester, N.Y., radio host Bob Lonsberry tweeted that boomer was the "... n-word for ageism." Lonsberry is 60.

USA Today reported the phrase "'OK, boomer,' has been used on the video-sharing app TikTok by Generation Z and millennials (also known as Generation Y) to show their resentment toward baby boomers."

The Independent's story  noted that Lonsberry criticized the phrase because it was "typically used to jab older folks for espousing seemingly outdated views."

I've heard boomer all my life and never considered it a derogatory term. I'm a boomer and proud to wear the badge. I've seen and experienced a lot of things in my boomer life. And perhaps I'm too old to care. That's another thing that comes with growing older.


Lonsberry, who has since deleted the tweet, apparently faced an avalanche of criticism for making the word comparison, according to the USA Today story. 

From the "The Mo'Kelly Show" host: "Just because something is insulting, it doesn't make the N-word sporto. Nobody died connected with it. Nobody was enslaved or segregated in conjunction with it. Just stop."

Actor John Mulaney, quoted by a Twitter user, said, "If you're comparing the badness of two words and you won't even say one of them, that's the worse word."

I'm not going to castigate Mr. Lonsberry. Maybe he was feeling down since reaching the big six-oh. Since he deleted the tweet, my guess is that he probably wishes he had used a different word, such as old, elderly, or senior. And there are plenty of other words that have been used to describe my generation.

Yep, words do matter, so choose wisely. 

Your thoughts?

~*~

If you're looking for information on the Internet about boomers, check out the "Top 100 Baby Boomer Blogs & Websites to Follow in 2019."

The blogs and websites cover a wide array of topics such as health, finances, careers, relationships, travel, grandparenting, and more. You can also subscribe to those that pique your interest. 

Until the next time . . .

What Are Boomer Lit Novels?

My last two novels belong to a genre referred to as Boomer Lit. I wasn't aware of the label until I stumbled across the term while surfing the Internet for tag lines for my books—"Old Ways and New Days" and "Darkness Beyond the Light"—now part of the John Ross Boomer Lit series.


In a sense, Boomer Lit is a continuation of the young adult novels that sprang up in the 1960s, such as "The Outsiders." You might include "Catcher in the Rye," since it was almost required reading for boomers when they were teens. 

Those readers have grown up and many want to read about their contemporaries, who now range in age from 54 to 72. By the way, as you have probably guessed, I'm in that group. 

Those born in the United States between Jan. 1, 1946 and Dec. 31, 1964, are referred to as baby boomers. After the war years, there was an increase in the number of births during that period. My "Greatest Generation" parents produced five boomers.

According to statistics released a few years ago, that number reached about 76 million. A recent figure has it at about 65 million, meaning the generation is aging and dying.  

Except for two young-adult novels, my other novels have focused on middle-age adults dealing with life's trials and tribulations. They were boomer lit before boomer lit became a label. Reminds me of the Barbara Mandrell song, "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool," if you know what I mean. 

Wikipedia defines boomer lit as "any genre that features mature characters, in contemporary settings, addressing any aspects of today's world."

I'm sure many of the novels offered by Wings, especially the romances, contain elements of Boomer Lit if the protagonist is a boomer. Check out the many titles by clicking here. 

For those interested in Boomer Lit, check out these sites:

• Boomer Lit: Novels, Short Fiction, Memoirs and More on Goodreads.
• Is Boomer Lit the Next Hot Genre?
• Boomer Lit: Romancing the Middle-Aged Reader
• On the Edge: Boomer Lit

I'm currently rewriting the third book in the John Ross Boomer Lit series. We'll let you know when it's released.

Until the next time . . . 

Second Promotion

I began a second promotion today, using Facebook to spread the word about "Darkness Beyond the Light."

Since the coming-of-old-age novel focuses primarily on AARP-age folks, I targeted baby boomers in major cities in the United States. It will run for 14 days. I've used Facebook in the past to promote by author page, garnering a good degree of success. I hope that holds true for the novel. You can enter the first promotion, an ebook from Amazon, by clicking here. 


The ad will send folks to my author page on Amazon, where they will (hopefully) purchase the book. It will also expose them to my other novels and nonfiction books. I especially want them to consider "Old Ways and New Days" since it is the first book  in the series.

I considered using Twitter, and I may still do so, but I'm going to do more research before I spend allocate any funds. If any authors out there, have you had success using Twitter?

I'll do a Goodreads giveaway as well, when the Facebook promotion is about over. I want to promote the book through the holiday season. By the way, "Darkness Beyond the Light" is set during the Christmas season. 

I've looked into other places but have found them rather pricey, and a few simply come across as scams. 

As I've noted in previous posts, promotion and marketing is not my forte. I do as much research as possible. Networking helps as other authors tell me of their experiences.

Until the next time. . . .