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Silver Lining: Northwest woman redefines ‘retirement’
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Anonymous user Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
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1 response 0 comments Northwest Bakersfield is populated by a huge group of talented people. The more I see of them, the more I am convinced that there is a “draw” about the Northwest that brings this pool of writers, artists and community volunteers to the area.

I suppose there are many reasons, but one might be its newness and its convenient location to Cal State Bakersfield, the Marketplace, Rosedale Promenade and lots of new housing! 

Carol Zander Black is another one of those transplants to Bakersfield that we read and hear about. She’s lived in the Northwest for five years. She says she moved to Pensacola, Florida for one year. She and her husband were just in time for Hurricane Ivan and that convinced them to come back “home” to Bakersfield. 

Carol and her husband Dick, who is a retired Visalia fireman and welding supply store manager, like the weather in Bakersfield and love the location because it is so convenient to the coast, various attractions in Los Angeles and the mountains. In addition, they have children in California City and Visalia, so it’s perfect for them when they visit the children and grandchildren.   

Carol was an elementary school principal in Fairfield, Calif. She taught elementary school for 16 years in Visalia and Fairfield, but her teaching career began in Rogue River, Oregon. She earned her Master’s Degree in educational administration in San Diego. As you can tell, her experience and her home bases are varied. To settle in Bakersfield is exactly what she wanted to do and she is very content here. 

The Blacks have done quite a lot of traveling and hope to do more. They prefer road trips to cruise ship travel, having driven 2,500 miles in England, going as far south as Plymouth. Driving from the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the road took some getting used to, but they finally got the hang of it and their trip was uneventful. Coming back to the “right side” of the car in the states took some adjusting! 

Carol is retired, sort of. She has a lot of hobbies and is particularly involved with her writing career. She will be leaving soon for a book signing tour to Visalia and Southern Oregon to promote her book, “Never Ask Permission.” It is a book filled with adventure, romance and heartache and tells the story of a woman coming of age in the 1950s. Press releases have described the book as a “powerful novel that illustrates the shifting roles of women in the last half of the 20th century.” The book is available at Russo’s at the Marketplace and at Barnes & Noble, as well as at Borders. 

In addition to her writing, Carol paints in acrylics and watercolors and does pen and ink drawings. She enjoys her garden and occasionally gets out on the golf course, but freely admits that writing has her absolutely hooked. 

We talked a little about contributions retired people can make to society as a whole. Carol said that in her career as an educator she is convinced that she made a number of positive contributions to the well being and success of many students. She intends to continue encouraging and influencing people in other ways as she develops her writing career.  

When she retired, Carol said she spent a year figuring out what she wanted to do. She strongly suggests to others that they consider spending at least that much time trying things out that are different from what their careers were. Then choose three or four things that really make you happy and “go for it!”

Above all, DO SOMETHING interesting and fun! 

Here is a happy woman who has much to offer. Another Northwest resident making a difference! What a joy to have such people in our community. 

E-mail Caroline with comments and profile suggestions at: creid@bak.rr.com
Comment on this column at: www.northwestvoice.com

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