Tony and I talk all the time during his birthday segments on The Kurre and Klapow Show about how old so many classic rockers are getting. Yes, I know, 70 is the new 50, and 50 is the new 30, etc. etc. But the reality is that if you look at Jagger, Plant, Hagar Seger and so many more they are work on careers that surpass 40 years. Will they hang it up before the leave this earth? Or will they play until they die?
I had a chance to be one of the last interviews from a local news anchor who had been on air for 40 years. And as I was wishing her well on her "retirement", I couldn't help but think: a. Damn- 40 years is a long time in any job b. How did she keep the motivation up to keep going? and c. How did she stay relevant enough to not be let go? Janet Hall from FOX6 in Birmingham, Alabama has been on air for 40 years. She's been "performing" daily . Not skipping a beat for marriage, children, and countless other life events. She decided to hang it up and we applauded her. But I can't help but wonder, why? Was she done? Did someone tell her she was done? Did she just lose the desire? Or maybe she realized that life is finite and it was time to turn the page to one more new chapter.
Jaggar, Plant, Hagar, and Seger. Will they hang it up? Or will they just keep going? Everyone in the Birmingham market wanted to see Janet stay. We understood and respected her choice to go. Will we respect and honor their choice or resent the fact that we can't have them any more? Life is short and we want to take in every ounce of it. News anchors and rockers sometimes need to turn the page before their story ends.