South magazine [82] HEALTH & WELLNESS 2019 | Page 16
PUB
P U LETTER
B
LETTER
ABOUT THE COVERS
A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
Tom Berenger and publisher,
Michael Brooks take a break
from the photoshoot for
some human interaction.
FIGHTING TIME
I T O C C U R S T O M E T H AT W H I L E M A N Y O F YO U
W I L L R E A D T H I S O N T H E P R I N T E D PA G E , ST I L L
M O R E O F YO U W I L L S CA N T H R O U G H W H AT I
WRITE HERE ON THE S CREEN OF A SMART PHONE
O R O T H E R D E V I C E . W H I C H I S I R O N I C, G I V E N
W H AT ’ S O N M Y M I N D A S I W R I T E T H I S.
The year 2020 is almost upon us, one of those far-flung futuri tic
years that used to serve as the default setting for “the future” as I
was growing up. In 2020, I was told, we’d be flying around in our
cars for any trip that was too short for a personal teleporter. We’re
not quite there yet. Instead, all we have to show for our futuristic
world is a device we hold in the palm of our hands that not only
gives us access to everything that mankind has ever known, but lets
us reach out to anyone on the globe and strike up a conversation.
Not a bad substitute, but one that comes with its own baggage.
We could access everything that mankind has ever known, but
mostly we just scroll through cat videos. We could strike up a
conversation with literally anyone, but mostly we end up trading
emojis and abbreviated text speak.
We like to think of this as a millennial
problem, but we all live through our phones,
and it’s making connections harder and harder
to forge. The technology behind it powers apps
and self-service kiosks, eliminating those small
interactions with someone behind the counter.
Customer service has become the mantra for
companies who invest heavily in technologies
that separate the customers from the service.
These are the small interactions that define
our days, and they’re disappearing. I was
reminded of this inside the luxurious trailer
of Hollywood icon Tom Berenger. I’ve been
a fan of his since his film “The Big Chill”
introduced movie audiences to the beauty of
the South Carolina Lowcountry. And the thing
about Tom Berenger in person is he’s one of
those people who reminds you to put your
phone down and simply exist in the moment.
After photographer Blake Crosby and I
shot him and his wife Laura outside their new
mobile palace, we spent the better part of an
afternoon just talking, face to face. That’s when
I learned that behind the iconic characters is a
guy who loves finding intere ting things to talk
about, be it the difference b tween regional
dialects in the Italian language or the relatively
young history of modern Hilton Head Island.
The Tom Berenger behind Barnes, behind
Taylor, is a master of conversation.
What had started out as your typically quick,
in-and-out shoot turned into an afternoon of
real human interaction. I only realized after
we left that neither one of us had at any point
looked at our phones, something which seems so
alien in the run-up to the futuristic year of 2020.
When I returned to the office, vigorated
by the conversation, I started discussing the
cinematic legacy of Tom Berenger with a few
20-something members of my staff. Their
reaction? “Tom who?”
Living through our phones might not be a
millennial problem, but not recognizing movie
royalty certainly is. Don’t worry; I corrected
it as soon as possible, by streaming the movie
“Platoon” on my phone.
MICHAEL BROOKS
PUBLISHER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
We caught up with Tom Berenger ( Page 56)
at the luxury RV park he now calls home -
when he isn’t filming his latest movie or seeing
where the road takes him. Photographer Blake
Croby, Written by Barry Kaufman,
Cover Design Michael Brooks.
Dedicated mom, celebrated athlete, successful
business owner and bombshell Mo Dixon
(page 70) truly has it all. It’d be easy to feel
jealous or her accomplishments, but it’s even
easier to feel inspired by her courage.
Photographer Paul D. Graham, Written by Molly
Clancy, Cover Design Michael Brooks.
Dr. David Oliver (page 102 ) has been advanc-
ing the frontiers of medicine in Savannah for
25 years, expanding his practice to go far be-
yond ear, nose and throat care. Photographer
Paul D. Graham, Cover Design Michael Brooks,
Written by Barry Kaufman
publisher & creative director Michael Brooks publisher’s assistant Diane McFeaters account executives Roscoe Smith, Stephanie Boaz,
Josh Flores & Kristin Bishop office manager Michelle Jones contributiing editors Barry Kaufman, Molly Clancy, Jason Birkelbach & Stephanie
Boaz contributing writers Justin Jarrett, Barry Kaufman, Kelly Harley, Molly Clancy, Jason Birkelbach, Barbara Augsdorfer, Robyn Passante, Cheryl
Rodewig contributing photographers D. Paul Graham, Blake Crosby, John Alexander, Colin Gray, Megan Perameter, Grace Murney graphic
designer Crae Messer editorial intern Skyler Allen South magazine is published bimonthly by Bad Ink, (Brooks Advertising Design, Inc.). Views expressed
in the editorial pages do not imply our endorsement. Please forward inquiries to Editor, South magazine, 1 1 6 Bull Street, Savannah, Georgia 31401 . We cannot be
responsible for unsolicited product samples. Subscription rates: U.S.: $19 for one year; $28 for two years; single copies: $4.95. Change of address notice: six to eight
weeks prior to moving, please clip the mailing label from the most recent issue and send it along with your new address to: South magazine, Change of Address
Notice, 1 1 6 Bull Street, Savannah, GA 31401 , attn: Circulation | South magazine: A Division of Bad Ink, phone: 91 2.236.5501 fax: 91 2.236.5524, southmag.com.
Copyright © 2018 South magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or any part without express written permission is prohibited.
14
SOUTH
December | January 2019
PHOTO BY BLAKE CROSBY