Page 136 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2021

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Golden Days on the Gulf Coast
story by Holly Harrison and Shannon Stage
“The Golden Years” is a phrase created 60 years ago as
part of an advertising campaign to draw home buyers to the nation’s first large scale retirement community in Sun City, Arizona. The words suggested that the years after a fast-paced career could be the best time in life, full of fun possibilities and fewer responsibilities.
Decades after that successful campaign, the Golden Years can last more than 20 years as retirees are living longer and staying physically and mentally active. This ever-expanding period in our lives offers new opportunities for self-fulfillment and meaningful community engagement. It is a time for new experiences and maybe it’s time to live where you have always wanted to be. Many recent retirees are finding everything they need right here and calling Coastal Mississippi home.
Every hamlet across our Coast has its own unique personality.
From Pascagoula’s swampy bayous to the beaches of Bay St. Louis and Waveland, and in every small town in between,
you will find authentic South Mississippi experiences in an assortment of flavors. There are spots where the natural habitat seems untouched for centuries. There’s a military town where aircraft take off each day and all along the coast faces turn up with pride as they fly by. There are small towns with big city nightlife and gaming. And there are quaint downtowns where gift shops and ice cream parlors remind you of an earlier time in your life when everything really was slower, and folks knew your name. No matter where you make your retirement home along the Coast, it is easy to explore new interests and support your wellbeing throughout this new stage of life.
There are educational opportunities for everyone. The University of Southern Mississippi’s satellite campus in Long Beach offers Mississippi residents aged 60 and older up to six hours of classes each semester tuition free on a first come first serve basis. A wide variety of museums offer information and insights on a myriad of subjects, each celebrating the diversity of the human spirit. The Hurricane Katrina Ground Zero Museum in Waveland is an unsung hero for documenting the devastating weather event that has divided life here into pre- Katrina and post-Katrina. The pictures and narratives that tell the hurricane stories pack a punch, reminding all of us of nature’s power and the healing power of community.
Coastal Mississippi is known for its promotion of the arts. Art Councils in nearly every town support local visual artists and offer public displays to inspire the timid artists among us. The many studios, galleries, and special exhibits hosts a variety of art styles, where you are bound to find a new favorite artist.
136 | November 2021
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