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Hello dear readers, and welcome back. This is Omaha Magazine associate editor Julius Fredrick, wishing you well as a new digit enters our lives—sure to line trash bins with misdated checks and expired coupons, but also the pages of journals with fresh goals. I’m talking about the number ‘3,’ the latest amendment to the turbulent twenties, and the designation of a new year: 2023. As the calendar resets and New Year's resolutions take flight, our January issue focuses on the important, yet fluid topic of Wellness.
To investigate this wide-encompassing subject properly we’re inviting you to a tripe-feature, together exploring the finer points of mental, physical, and even spiritual wellness.
Our cover story traces the harrowing journey of former Husker fullback Willie Miller, wherein stardom on the football field fizzled into a life overcast with pain, anger, and addiction. Miller, having stared into the abyss for nearly two decades, appeared all but certain to be consumed. However, a pinprick of light shone through after a chance conversation introduced him to an area nonprofit. Through the belief of friends and family, both new and old, and the resilience of Miller’s heart, that same light now illuminates operating rooms throughout Methodist Hospital.
This issue’s second and third features, on the new 988 suicide and crisis lifeline, and the intense realm of ultra marathoners, magnify the extremes—both the highs, and the lows—of health and wellness. Between these features, we intend to provide a cross-section of the varied and intermingled domains of physical and mental health.
In addition to Miller, another medical professional graces this issue: retired otolaryngologist Dr. Iris Moore, as profiled in our 60+ section. Despite a late-stage IV cancer diagnosis, Moore continued to see and treat patients prior to her retirement, demonstrating compassion, resolve, and a devotion to the Hippocratic oath that’s come to define her career as a metro physician.
Of course, wellness also extends to food, and while the menu curated by owner/chef Wilson Calixte of Le Voltaire won’t necessarily help diners tackle the next diet fad, its fusion of traditional French and African cuisine invites guests to slow down, recharge, and to enjoy the finer things in life. Beyond Le Voltaire’s inspired plates, Calixte’s professional journey—from humble dishwasher, to revered chef and restaurant owner—is certain to provide generous servings of motivation.
On behalf of the hardworking and dedicated staff that aim to inform, entertain, and above all, celebrate the people of Omaha, I wish you well as 2022 comes to a close and 2023 commences. While it’s impossible to know what new hurdles await, the individuals and organizations detailed in the stories above, and throughout this issue, offer me a sense of hope, courage, and peace of mind as I brace for tomorrow’s challenges.
I trust they’ll do the same for you.
*Note: The hotel edition of Omaha Magazine has a different cover and does not include all of the editorial content included in the magazine’s full city edition. For more information on our city edition, visit OmahaMagazine.com.
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