Elder Media in St. Paul

Those guest bloggers who so ably filled in for me last week were here so I could travel to St. Paul, Minnesota to tape three episodes of a PBS series on aging funded by Minnesota Public Television.

Except for the fine job Retirement Living TV is doing, there aren’t many television shows about getting old. In fact, there aren’t even many old people on television. So I’m glad my “old” friend, Ron Fried, is producing Life Part 2 with Lorraine Kreahling, and that another old friend, Lynda Sheldon, believed I would be a useful addition to the programs.

Although no broadcast dates are set, the shows will probably air sometime in June or July. You can be sure I’ll let you know in plenty of time to watch or record them.

The host is 57-year-old actor Alan Rosenberg who you have undoubtedly seen in movies and on television over the years. He’s smart, funny, warm and easy to work with which is a good thing for me. The toughest part for this one-time TV producer was being on the business end of the camera. As a producer, I sometimes worried that the guests wouldn’t deliver; now I’ve learned that it’s much more difficult not knowing what questions will be thrown at you. But Alan made that (almost) easy.

If you are a relatively long-time reader of Time Goes By, you know that I sometimes quote Abigail Trafford who writes the My Time column about aging for the Washington Post. If you missed my story about her January column calling for a really big resolution for 2007, it is worth a read – even a second read and, perhaps, some action too.

It was a pleasure to meet Abigail and find that we share many attitudes and beliefs about the culture of aging in the United States. She and I spent a leisurely evening in the hotel lounge with another writer and show guest I’ve admired for several decades, Robert Lipsyte. All these years I’ve been reading his sports columns (it doesn’t matter with Bob if you don’t care for sports; his writing transcends the ostensible topic) I had no idea he has had and continues to have a separate career as a young adult novelist.

Comedy writer, actor, standup performer, Eric Kornfeld was another of the show’s guests when we discussed fear of aging, fear of dying and how men and women are different from one another as we get older. Eric kept us all in line whenever we drifted too far toward terminal seriousness, which doesn’t mean he isn’t sensitive and serious guy too – but he is also seriously funny and has just finished writing the comedy material for Bette Midler’s new tour.

The head butler himself, Jesse Kornbluth, was there too, dispensing his erudite opinions and advice along with some surprising thoughts on how aging is a mite different when there is a five-year-old daughter in the mix.

Some other guests, experts in their fields, grounded the shows in factual material and I think you’ll like the programs when you see them. For sure, I’ll let you know when they will be broadcast.

[Meanwhile, it was no fun at all to come home to my car buried under almost three feet of snow with higher drifts up the sides. Just one of the reasons I so loved not owning a car for 40 years in New York City.]

Comments

[tamar]

Thoroughly enjoyed your missives from MN even while reading your guest bloggers. Small Beer -- now that's a blog title I would NEVER have clicked otherwise. Who woulda thunk? Amazing stuff. My blog title, too, is not reflective of its content. Should be "Dual Citizen" yet my first idea for a "great" title will do for now. i enjoy your blog so much! From a former NY-er (now Atlantan-Tel Aviv denizen) who shoveled snows to reveal a series of VW bugs i drove ten years living in Cambridge, MA.

[Dee]

Glad to see you are back home. I thought about you during your time in St. Paul believing that the weather might have kept you there 'til the spring thaw! I guess you didn't fly Jet Blue! BTW, your guests filled in nicely. Dee

[Fred Hundt]

Ronni,
We were delighted to have you be part of the Life Part(2) and we'll make sure to let you know when the broadcast schedule is set. And I promise to post occasionally, not just lurk.

Fred

[Joared]

Will look forward to hearing the perspective on aging of those you've written about whenever the shows air. Be sure and give us the link to where we can find the shows and/or audio on the Internet.

[claude]

Sounds like you had a great and interesting time!
Cars and snow! Not a nice mixture...
I understand you.

[Darlene]

Ronni, you have described Alan Rosenberg to be just the way I always imagined him. He has such a kind face and I am glad to have my opinion confirmed.