Hello, Colorado Springs and Pueblo readers. I’m Cloie Sandlin, editor in chief of BEACON Senior News, and I’m excited to be writing for you this month.

In fact, you’ll be hearing from me in this space going forward. Since 2020, my work with this edition has been more behind the scenes, but I’ve been with the BEACON for much longer than that. I have a few years to go before I hit 50, but I’ve spent nearly two decades listening to you, learning from you and sharing the stories of older adults across our communities. You’ll get to know me more as we go.

When I was in college, I never imagined I’d work for a senior magazine. I’ve always loved local news, but like many young people starting out, I thought I’d be chasing breaking stories for a newspaper or interviewing touring musicians and sharing their stories. BEACON wasn’t part of that original plan, but it turned out to be exactly what I wanted: a front-row seat to great stories.

And you have plenty of them.

Over the years, I’ve shared stories about world champions in their 80s and 90s and a cellist who played with Led Zeppelin. I’ve talked with countless people whose larger-than-life careers and experiences are closer than you’d think, living and working just down the road. I’ve interviewed people from a private plane as it soared over the mountains, talked with senior hockey players at the rink and even learned how to curl. I took my first ski lesson while interviewing senior skiers and since then, skiing has become one of my favorite winter pastimes. That’s what I love about this work: One good interview often leads to new experiences.

If you’re anything like me, you’re curious. Maybe you’ve always been curious, but retirement can open up the time and freedom to try things you didn’t have room for before. The more I learn from you, the more I find myself trying things I never would have considered otherwise.

That’s one reason I love this month’s cover story on senior magicians. Magic was their career, but they chose to do it and keep doing it because it keeps them learning, practicing and staying sharp, with that sense of wonder intact. The best performers never stop being students, even after decades onstage.

 Speaking of other magical moments, if you loved our story about Pueblo’s Kevin and Sue Nunn, crowned the Denver Broncos’ 2025 Fans of the Year, there’s more on the way. Next month, they’ll share what it was like to walk the NFL Honors red carpet, meet some of football’s greatest players and soak in the kind of bucket-list moment you don’t forget.

In the meantime, I hope this issue leaves you with the same thing a good magic trick does: that little spark of wonder that reminds you there’s still more to discover.

HOW TO CONTACT ME

Do you have an article or story you’d like us to cover? Drop me a line at 719-900-7664 ext. 104 or email me at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you!