Serve by Design

There was a time in my life when I was flattered to have a target on my back! Now that I am one of the seventy-million or so aging Baby Boomers (born: April 7, 1951, and a card-carrying AARP member!), I am no longer on the radar of businesses who are targeting a much younger generation of consumers. There was a lot of consumer power focused on my generation back in the day. We were part of what fueled the post-World War II economy! That was then and this is now! I should have known that what was going around would be coming around. My beloved mother was lamenting in her seventies and early eighties after a shopping spree at the local clothing department stores (JCP, Kohl’s and the like), “Mike, they just don’t make clothes for someone my age anymore!” I know what she means every time I pick up a piece of men’s sportswear with stretchy-fabric, I find myself declaring, “These are for young, slim guys. Not me!” This brings me to my current lament. After shopping my neighborhood grocery ...

A national troupe of award-winning actors is visiting our local university this month with a wildly popular musical, Pretty Woman ! While some macho-types might deny having ever seen the movie, in truth, many have seen it several times since its debut in 1990! It’s a date-night standard with its Cinderella-themed plot about the unlikely romance between a wealthy businessman and a woman of lesser means. Springfield First is Debt-Free! One of the unforgettably funny moments of the movie is when Richard Gere presents Julia Roberts with a diamond broach securely incased in the presentation box. The moment she reaches into the box, Gere snaps it shut. She immediately draws her hand back as if bitten by a mini monster. We, viewers, laugh aloud every time we see this clip, but our laughter is drowned out by Robert’s uproarious laughing response! Thanks to Monique, we have had similar occasions of playful shenanigans from time to time. You’d think I would learn to anticipate these, but I am ...