How do you get information? TV, radio, the Internet? Do you listen as a family or individually? Was there a particular event you remember that held you spellbound? How, with whom, and when you get your information makes you... you!
I remember during my childhood the prevalence of more radio than TV. If you lived in the city, you had two or three choices of black-and-white broadcasting channels that operated at particular times and rarely all day. Nothing like the colorful 24/7 TV and cable we have today.
Radio Was King!
If you grew up in the country, as I did, there was a strong possibility that there weren't any TV stations, so you didn't need a TV. Radio was king! I can remember sitting around listening to Amos and Andy, The Lone Ranger, Milton Berle, Jack Benny, and most of the music was live. Saturday night was always reserved for the Grand Ole Opry. I remember hearing Andy Griffith for the first time giving his "What it was, was football." speech. Hilarious! There also seemed to be a supply of serial programs that came on weekly, like "The Shadow Knows" and many other scheduled programs. And the commercials! Every product being hawked seemed to have a catchy song or jingle.
Later when we bought a TV, chores, homework, or whatever we had to do, had to be completed before our favorite program came on. Disney, Bonanza, Ed Sullivan Show, Wagon Train, and many others. With radio, you could listen while you worked... however, TV influenced our activities or schedule so we could watch the programs. The content was still heavily geared toward entertaining you. The evening news with Walter Cronkite was a must-see as it always told us the facts letting us make up our minds with his closing statement, "And that's the way it was."
Events That Shaped a Generation
By the way, the NASA Gemini rocket launches, the assassination of President Kennedy, Elvis, and the Beatles on Ed Sullivan were the events that significantly impacted me. We watched and saw things that made a whole new world open up to poor kids, like us, who didn't have many opportunities other than the TV to see the big old world out there, and …it made us dream.
I'm huge on the source of information. No matter how you get your information, always look for the source of the information. Because what you know, and how you know it, and who said it makes you… you!
By David Edge
David Edge is a retirement lifestyle writer and contributor to the ARA monthly newsletter. His articles blend personal stories with practical insights on living well in retirement.
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Easy Eddie's Take
David's story about radio and early TV really resonates with me because it shows how much our information sources shape our worldview. Today's retirees grew up in that golden age of trusted news anchors like Walter Cronkite, and many folks tell me they're overwhelmed by the 24/7 information overload we have now, especially when it comes to making important financial decisions.
Here's what I've learned from working with retirees: the same principle David talks about applies perfectly to retirement planning. Just like you wouldn't trust just any radio station for your news, you want reliable sources when you're making decisions about Social Security claiming strategies, Medicare Supplement versus Medicare Advantage plans, or whether to do Roth IRA conversions. A lot of people ask me, "How do I know if the retirement advice I'm reading online is actually reliable?" The answer is the same as it was in David's radio days – look at the source, check their credentials, and make sure they're giving you facts, not just trying to sell you something.
The good news is that while the media landscape has changed dramatically since the days of gathering around the radio, the fundamentals of good decision-making haven't. Take your time, get information from multiple trusted sources, and don't let anyone pressure you into quick decisions about your retirement future.