Starts at 60 has grown from the ground up over the last four years with a strong community of over 60s at our core, actively driving our voice to become exactly what you want it to be. In the week when we’re celebrating our fourth birthday as a community and website that serves over 60s I want to introduce you to some of the special people who have become really pivotal to us. Before I do I have to say that I will be leaving people out here as there is just so many of you who are important, so I apologise in advance. You are all important and if I could write about each and every one of you I would.
I start with a comment from Rod Faithful, one of our early community members who you can meet below.
’’Our views are as vast as they are diverse. Starts at 60 has given us a means of voicing our opinions and of sharing with others. More importantly it has created an awareness of our generation and the role we play and will continue to play in an ever-changing society.’’
“The site itself has grown and changed in appearance and most certainly diversity of content has expanded. The audience is now international and encompasses people from all walks of life. What lies at the heart of Starts at 60 remains the same and it is that which is of most importance,” said Rod.
Let me give you a bit of background. Starts at 60 has grown a group of 400 or more over 60 bloggers who contribute articles and opinion editorials “op-eds” to our media site daily. We have also grown a Book club with 17 book reviewers who contribute book reviews, co-ordinated by our amazing Book Club Leader, Karen O’Brien Hall, an over 60 we found because she passionately reached out and asked if she could. Dymocks support all of our Australian community writers with vouchers to say thanks for contributing, the support we are very blessed to have.
We also now also enjoy travel blogs contributed by over 40 travel bloggers that are over 60, an area that is growing rapidly and will soon have a supporter too.
It’s exciting to think that many of these writers have grown their confidence and writing voices right here in our digital media site, and now serve their blogs and stories to over a million potential readers each time getting sometimes hundreds or thousands of comments. You should know, we welcome more people to contribute too. And now, I’m excited to introduce a few.
Some of the first people I found online, when writing for a very small community back in the late weeks of March 2013 were Jacqui and Brian Lee. I feel very grateful to have met them when I did. If you don’t know them, it’s time you did as they are some of the longest standing community members in the Starts at 60 Community.
Brian is an 82-year-old retired Graphic Designer, who emigrated from the UK, in 1959 to immigrate with his new bride Jacqui. They live in Yarram, in Gippsland, spending their time dreaming of past glories, writing for Starts at 60 and painting.
“I still manage to be quite active, mentally if not physically and we both get ourselves into trouble as much as we can!” said Brian. “I’m on the computer pretty well every day, unless we’re off to Philip Island, Lakes Entrance or some other place like that. You could say I’m a bit of a computer freak…”
Brian talks of the day he found Starts at 60 online with humourous regret! [See the articles he’s written for Starts at 60 here.]
“Saw it on the internet, as a new magazine for old-timers like us and decided to give it a go! Something I’ve always regretted – I could be sitting around relaxing now if I hadn’t instead of chasing ideas for stories all the time. (Just kidding Bec, we’ve loved every moment of it).”
Brian introduced Jacqui almost immediately when he found us and we knew we were very lucky. These two have character in spades. They have had stories to tell about getting tattoos in their seventies, dying their hair purple, shopping proudly in op-shops and styling with confidence. Brian writes about art, history, politics and adventure; his old cars and his love for life. It’s a wonderful pairing of contradictions.
“I am a not very ‘conventional’ retiree,” says Jacqui. “I love heavy rock, Reggae, guitar solos and ballet, paint like crazy, Colour my hair purple sometimes, and have two small tattoos.
Jacqui has worked as a nurse, carer, fashion assistant and bar worker. One of our all time favourite articles is “Growing Old Disgracefully”.
“I love people and try to show compassion for all living things. Have lived in three countries. Born in England lived in New Zealand and here in Australia, our three children are all in their 50’s. We have three grandchildren all in their 20’s. we live a very social life here in a small town. I am secretary of University of the Third age. We are broke but very happy, the major needs are all met. We have a roof over our heads, food in the larder and family and friends.”
It’s a great outlook on life and one not lost here. [See the articles written by Jacqui Lee here]
My next introduction is to Fran Spears. Fran joined us when we popped up while she was studying a PR degree later in life. She dropped into the office for a cuppa on a visit to Brisbane earlier in the year and stayed the whole day with everyone in raptures afterwards.
“I have just turned 64 and I use the internet every day. I have always loved social media and everything it offers. I take it with the good and bad. I have an Instagram account and a Twitter account. I don’t use the Twitter much as yet and I also am registered on job seeking sites as well as Linkedin but haven’t done much with these lately. The internet is sometimes my lifesaver,” says Fran.
“I live alone with my little Cavoodle Scarlet and life is a struggle sometimes, but not necessarily because I have aged. I live in Tasmania, was born in SA and have lived in SA, Qld and NT over the years.
To be over sixty doesn’t bother me most of the time but when you feel a little unwell or isolated sometimes, you feel a bit sorry for yourself. SAS comes in handy then because, as I’ve found from my articles, there are always people who can relate what you are going through or are worse off than you.
Fran has written for Starts at 60 for more than two-three years now and has recently self-published her own book.
“SAS has helped me to realize my dream of writing more and communicating more. I love to write and have just had my first little book published. It is not the great Australian novel, but it is a start. It is a romantic story put on paper and placed between a simple cover. It is I hope the start of bigger and better things for me.
Rod Faithful joined us back in 2013 also, finding us on Facebook. (Read his beautiful 2014 story “A New Planet for Over 60s”.
He reached out directly to see if his stories could be submitted and before long his yarns were well-loved.
“I turned 64 last week and to be honest I am starting to realize that I am slowing down and should probably change some of my not so good habits and take on some that are more beneficial to continuing good health and enjoyment of life,” said Rod when asked about where he is in life right now.
“I ride my bicycle regularly and get out and about fishing, canoeing, camping and caravanning whenever we can. Life is what you make it and you must make things happen to achieve all that you want.”
His outlook is heartwarming and fits so perfectly with the Starts at 60 embrace that encourages everyone to have a go.
“Sometimes we need to consider others and their needs so we change track and/or put personal plans and ambitions on hold. In doing this we sometimes open doors that otherwise would have remained closed and be it for better or worse we discover that being in complete control of life is an impossibility. So, we make the most of what happens and hopefully we continue to enjoy good health for many years to come.”
The next person I want to introduce you to is Karen O’Brien Hall who has championed our bookclub since the very beginning building it into a beautifully managed daily column. She’s become a member of the Starts at 60 content team she’s been so hard at work!
“My whole life I’ve been a voracious reader and a writer of sorts. Even in primary school my “compositions” were long and colourful and I was never later with a book report. Almost to the detriment of others, English was my favourite subject; I loved the books, plays, Shakespeare and poems we studied. But until I retired, I had never earned a brass razoo from writing … or reading.
She found us online the day Hazel Hawke died, when one of her favourite author’s Liz Byrski, shared our obituary. We were, just a few weeks later, calling out for people to participate in a book club. Vivienne Beddoe and Dolly Daniels also answered the call and so began Books at 60. Vivienne too has become someone we’ve had many beautiful moments with.
“Can you believe we started with 3 books a month? Now there is a book post every day. Due to bad health Dolly had to leave us as a reviewer, but is still a strong supporter and Vivienne is a stalwart of the reviewing team. From our small and enthusiastic group, we now number 17 reviewers and thousands of followers.
Karen has become a huge part of the Starts at 60 family, guiding us on everything from site redesigns to how to get our tone or language right on different things and she’s become a dear personal friend and mentor too.
“Starts at 60 is more than book reviews to me. I came for the articles, but I’ve stayed for the friendship. As the resident “old” person on the SAS team (I’ve been on staff part-time nearly 2 years), I am constantly renewed by the loving support of Bec and Brett Wilson and the whole team. I thrive on frequent injections of their youth and enthusiasm.”
[See Karen’s articles here]
The next person to introduce is Christine Meehan, a loyal columnist best known for her “What Pisses Me Off Column” (WPMO). I remember Christine first contacted me to see if she could write within months of the site kicking off, then, just as she was about to begin, her son had a terrible accident on his bicycle leaving her the carer of both him and her mother.
“I have been Mum’s carer for the past 4 years also my son’s carer for the past three. I have been very busy but find I find writing for SAS has been very therapeutic and the WPMO blogs always give me a laugh.”
Christine discovered us using Facebook and joined up one day; and has never looked back.
And finally, the last for this feature, Jeni Robinson, who is an author and keenly writes for Starts at 60 in travel, and writing book previews and reviews for Books at 60 and penning stories on anything and everything.
Jeni lives in an inner city apartment in Brisbane with her “long-suffering husband”.
“He’s long been suffering from nights left alone as I keep a computer company instead of him – and truckloads of family photos to remind me of what really matters.
I find I’m constantly suffering from itchy feet, the best way to scratch them is to visit my only daughter and grandson in Melbourne, as well as traveling this beautiful planet to explore new places – some of which become fascinating locations in my novels.
Jeni says she has a love of all things musical so her travel stories and books are filled with titbits of various genres.
“I fill my time writing, spending time with loved ones (especially my much-adored only grandson), singing in a community church, musical theatre & those gorgeous creatures whose manes and tails fly in the wind are my ultimate passions – oh, and a good cup of coffee is a welcome companion to keep the creative juices flowing!
As you’ve no doubt gathered, our fourth birthday is a big deal to all of us visit Starts at 60 regularly. I’ve written two other stories this week about us:
Behind the scenes at Starts at 60 CLICK HERE TO READ
What I’ve learned building Starts at 60 CLICK HERE TO READ
If you’re reading this I invite you to introduce yourselves on the bottom of this post so it becomes a big share-athon. Be sure to do it here on the article if you can, as a preference to Facebook as it stays connected to us forever!
It’s Starts at 60’s fourth birthday this week so our founder, Rebecca Wilson, is bringing you several stories throughout the week about our site, our community and our learnings. One thing that we do ask is that you join our site properly by clicking the “login” button on the website, so we can welcome you to our community and provide the honest services we aspire to. This helps us help you.
And, if you’re interested in writing for Starts at 60 or Travel at 60 find out more here and contact us.