Living Retired — ‘Missing Mike’

Living Retired — ‘Missing Mike’

By Non-Pulitzer Prize Winning Columnist Gary Chalk.

My wife Jan often reminds me, “Gary, read your audience.” She’s right.

Sometimes funny has to wait. This is one of those times. Here is why…

Many readers (in the hundreds) of Living Retired signed up to receive my column after hearing me on The Mike Farwell Show on 570NewsRadio in Kitchener. Each week Mike encouraged listeners to sign up and “Get some chuckles in your inbox among the memos from the boss”. He also referred listeners to my website to check about bringing “Gary’s unique humorous perspective to your club meeting, corporate event, or retirement party.” These events, more are already booked, gave me the opportunity to meet Mikes listeners.

On the show Mike often referred to me coming from the ‘Living Retired World Headquarters’ over near Brantford. I would chime in talking about the Living Retired Interns. Listeners fell for it knowing full well we were exaggerating, make that fibbing. The ‘Living Retired World Headquarters’ is me sitting in my home office, talking over an ancient landline believing the quality is better for live radio. And reminding Jan to remain quiet — often while her hairdresser was doing her hair while I was on the air. I always opened with “Good morning Mike with a mic.” And sometimes I would add, “And Mary on her bike.” Mary enjoyed our segments. So did Dereck in Hull England who listened online.

Doing ‘Living Retired On The Radio’ took me back to my roots: broadcasting has always been my first love, even when I was 7 years old. I became an announcer, not a talk show host like Mike. Mike is ‘Mr. Waterloo Region’ a figure known everywhere. He broadcast the Kitchener Rangers hockey games. The search for a cure for cystic fibrosis is nearer than ever because of Farwell4Hire his annual monthlong fundraising appeal for the past decade.

For going on three years ‘Living Retired On The Radio’ Mike and I kibitzed Thursday mornings at 10:30. And I am not sure who enjoyed it more: the listeners, Mike, or myself. But last week news broke that the station was being shuttered, part of a cost saving plan by Roger’s Communications. Many employees throughout other stations throughout Canada also lost their jobs.

Mike put his heart and soul into The Mike Farwell Show. The reaction to the station closing has been deafening — leading local, regional, provincial, and federal political figures, community leaders, citizens, and other competing media outlets have spoken up. They aren’t happy.

Recently, Living Retired became syndicated in Grant Haven Media. When Mike found out he was among the first to say, “Congratulations Gary.”

This Thursday morning shortly before 10:30 I will waiting by my phone for a call that won’t be made. I will miss Devon and Jen the producers of Mikes show getting me ready to go on the air.

Time plus humour equals healing. I believe in my heart of hearts that we have not heard the last of Mike, he is that good. Hopefully soon I can again say, “Good morning Mike with a mic.”

For this weeks Living Retired Reader Poll pass along your comments about Mike Farwell.

Living Retired is written by me, Gary Chalk. If you would like me to speak at your service club, corporate event, or retirement party drop me a message at Gchalk@me.com

For more laughs click www.LivingRetired.press