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Thinking warm thoughts of spring!
March 20 is the first day of spring, but as any native Michigander will tell you, that doesn’t mean winter is over. I have had snow on my birthday, April 26. Of course, I have also had sunny days in the 80s. That’s Michigan. Still, the beginning of spring promises warmer days to come.
Pointe Magazine will celebrate its 15th anniversary with its May-June issue. We are excited and proud to reach that milestone. But we are also humbled by how many great Grosse Pointe businesses have been around that long and much longer. One such business is Pointe Fitness & Training.
Grosse Pointe Park resident Ken Welch founded his gym in March 1995. He is a pioneer in the fitness industry. He has seen gyms, franchises, nonprofits, private clubs and even municipalities encroach on his business. Yet, he survived. He has gone through the Great Recession and the COVID pandemic and weathered them all.
Four years ago, at the age of 71, the fitness leader suffered a heart attack. His friends, family and gym patrons were shocked. If a fitness nerd and trainer can have a heart attack, what chance do we have? “Sure, I was in good health,” Ken says, “but genes are genes.” He credits his fitness foundation for his rehabilitation and comeback. He conducts 18 fitness sessions a week, besides running the business.
Prior to his heart attack, Ken opened the gym every morning at 5 a.m. Now he lets the younger staffers open up ... at 5:30! The change has been a blessing in a way in that younger patrons are coming in and filling the ranks as us older folks are going to Florida.
Still, going to the gym is good for us seniors as well. As Ken points out, not only does working out build strength and cardio, it also lends itself to stability and confidence ... and fewer broken bones! I have to admit I have backslidden since the pandemic, but I promised Ken I’ll be back ... as soon as we get back from Florida!
As always, be sure to patronize our many loyal businesses and advertisers, without whom Pointe Magazine would not be possible. Happy spring and see you around the Pointe!
John Minnis
Publsiher
On April 7, tickets will go on sale for Grosse Pointe Library’s Books on the Lake. I had the honor of chatting with this year’s visiting authors, Shelby Van Pelt and Annie Hartnett. If our conversation was any preview of their talks, I’m counting down the days to the event on May 10 at The War Memorial.
Both women touched on a topic near to my heart — writing and having a fulfilling creative life as the mother of young children.
Van Pelt wrote the basis for Remarkably Bright Creatures in 2013, prior to having children. She wouldn’t pick it up again until six years later, when her youngest went to school. What has happened since, is “unreal” to the New York Times bestselling author. While Van Pelt describes her excitement about the upcoming film adaptation of Remarkably Bright Creatures, she in the same breath details her worry over a second novel, the expectations heaped on it. She honors a contract with herself to have the draft completed prior to visiting Grosse Pointe.
The promise to self is something that Annie Hartnett depends on in her career. Without the support of her completed MFA program and adjusting to life as a new parent, she started a contract with a writing friend. They committed to writing a certain amount daily. Through the contract, Hartnett has written her second and third novels.
“If I’m not writing, I’m just not happy,” she says. “I think most creatives feel that way.” So she started an Accountability Workshop for writers in a similar predicament. With busy lives, and many of them mothers, participants hold themselves accountable to their creative goals. I found her approach extremely motivating.
Now that our youngest is in school full time, I have the bandwidth to widen my creative world and find the time and energy to revive what felt like a lost part of me. If you’re in need of similar inspiration, I highly recommend Hartnett’s podcast, Good Moms on Paper, as well as her Accountability Workshop.
The night before Books on the Lake, we at Grosse Pointe Library Foundation will host the authors at a small evening gathering as a way to thank donors and welcome the authors to Grosse Pointe. We can’t thank our donors enough for their continued support of our library system.
Read more about Books on the Lake, Van Pelt and Hartnett on page 20. I hope to see you there.
Lauren McGregor
Editor
The Happiest Day in Grosse Pointe!www.facebook.com/124303337591975/videos/292240332790704/
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