The Start of Conversations

Last Fall, Julie Keon approached me about hosting a discussion on death and dying in Health Matters. We talked about it for quite a while and she warned me that it could be a risky topic as people don’t generally like to read about death. She certainly had a point. When things like this come forward, you really have to consider what the readers expect you to deliver and the topic of death and dying was one that I had really no feedback about from anybody.

What I know is that the people who read this magazine are interested in health. They are interested in what they can do to live their best lives. And while maybe people had not yet thought about death as being part of a healthy life, I decided our readers could handle that conversation. I called Julie and agreed to the section if she agreed to be interviewed. She did. And so the conversation begins.

My second interview with Jennifer Valiquette of the Regional Assault Care Program, exposed the “hard truth” about how our community struggles with assault and abuse. The stories are staggering and again, people don’t necessarily want to talk about that kind of thing. But just because we don’t talk about it doesn’t mean the problem goes away, it only means we have turned away from being part of the solution. And so, another conversation begins.

We’re doing a lot of talking in this issue and I hope you will share your feedback with us. You can call, email or message us on Facebook.

It seems summer is going to arrive after all! As this magazine is prepared, we are also working on Travel Our Backyard, the local tourism magazine we distribute annually. (It’s also free!) We really are fortunate to have so many options to be outdoors in this area, so let’s enjoy what we have in our own backyard and get active about it.

Enjoy the summer. Travel your backyard. Stay healthy. We’ll talk again in the Fall.

Jennifer Layman, Publisher