Retirement Strengths Salute ~ #1 Talk Show Host, Ron Zimmerman

What’s the best retirement send off you can imagine to honor one of
your closest, dearest, respected friends?

How do you thank someone who has blessed you and the world with
4 decades of listening pleasure? Someone who joined at 5:00 a.m.
every morning, he played songs that warmed your heart, brought a
smile to your face, and engendered reminiscing tears of nostalgia.
Someone special who read curious anecdotes and breaking news
that set your neurons on alert. Hmmm…Did you agree or disagree?
He always filled your plate with fun food for thought.

Lucky me. There are too many times to count when I joyfully appeared
on Ron Zimmerman’s #1 radio talk show, “Be My Guest,” WOMT 1240
AM radio, in Manitowoc, WI.

How do I express my heartfelt thanks to my favorite talk show host
with the most? No offense to the other great hosts I’ve appeared with,
but Ron and I go back to my first days in Manitowoc after receiving
my Ph.D. in 1978.

Do you wonder what strengths “Uncle Ron” rocketed out into the
universe? Those strengths that blew up my balloon of respect, awe,
and admiration? And why I can’t forget his tremendous talent for
delivering perfect timing with his boisterous laughter and sassy sarcasm!

First strength? Courage.
Ron and I respectfully differed on politics and many other topics.
Made for great radio! He is fearless. He tells it like it is. Total honesty.
Take it or leave it. I tend to be a people pleaser, but Ron roars his opinion.
Gutsy to the max. Steadfast and unflappable. I love that!

Integrity.
Ron never backs off from a difference in opinion from anyone. True blue.
And a wit that never quits.

Constructive thinking.
Ron knows what is right. When he decided to accept an offer to hit the
big time and was kicked upstairs to host a Green Bay TV show, he rose
to the challenge. He tried it. It wasn’t a good fit. His wisdom continued
to serve him well. He never liked to dress up (understatement!) and that
necessity alone probably did him in! I know him best for wearing sweat
shorts and an interesting T-shirt or a fun patterned polo. The holes
reflected his charisma and “This ain’t what matters” common sense.

Tenacity.
Ron perseveres. He is always prepared with breaking news, funny
anecdotes, and unbelievable stories. I love his naughtiness. He savors
research and loves to learn. He is the best listener ever. On air, Ron and
I have weathered the weirdest questions imaginable -Nut cases, old fogies,
young whipper snappers. You name it; we have heard fascinating folks
ask questions that raised our eyebrows to the heavens. It’s a good thing
we weren’t on TV!

Social Intelligence.
Ron chews on every topic, some poignantly personal. From substance
abuse, loss, and pain to sports, weather, love, and play. Never a dull day!
And many mornings he cuts off the, shall we say, smart-butted, irrelevant
callers. CLICK!!!  By-bye rude, irrelevant pests. Away you go. No-nonsense
honesty. Personal power personified.

Kindness.
Need a song played to honor a loved one? Call Ron, and he would play it
for you. Many times he would gift Ken and I, playing Carly Simon’s
“Hello Little Woman, Hello Big Man” knowing Ken is 6’3″ and I am 5’1″.
Always a sweet treat.

Ability to Love.
Best times? When Mom was on radio with me during our yearly Christmas
show. Ron treated Mom like a queen. Even when she became deaf, she was
on the show. Staff wrote out the questions guests would call in and ask her.
Mom would reply in her sweet voice, even though she could not hear. Ron
was always game. After Mom could no longer travel, we still did the show
remote from Delaware. Mom remembers Ron as one of her favorite people
ever. And so do I.

So #1 radio talk show host, Ron Zimmerman, personality plus strengths
meister, this blog is for you. My heart is singing these lyrics…

“Thanks for the Memories” and “I’ll Be Seeing You…”

And I hope it won’t be in my dreams!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And speaking of memories, experience my amazing adventures in Cuba!
Photo Adventures in Cuba ~ Unlock Your Power of Positivity!
Now a best-seller on Amazon ~ Kindle

I’d love to hear from you!
Just send me your questions, and I will answer in a future blog.
You can also connect with me on facebook, LinkedIn, or twitter
www.facebook.com/drjudykrings