For more than 46 years, generations of listeners around theTwin Cities tuned in to hear John Hines’ familiar voice on the airwaves. A mainstay of Minnesota radio, Hines has taken calls from countless citizens and had conversations with people of all walks of life. From interviewing President Jimmy Carter to doing the 6 a.m. news with Huey Lewis and the News — Hines treasures the career that led him to people and places around the world.
Despite retiring in 2018, Hines’ life doesn’t look all that different. He traveled to Alaska this past summer as part of the WCCO Radio Good NeighborTour, and he puts quite a few miles on his bicycle every chance he gets.
“I have the time and the opportunity,” Hines says. “I just can’t sit on the sidelines. I feel like I need to be out there doing these things. It’s just part of continuing to learn.”
The 69-year-old is as tuned in as ever to leading a healthy lifestyle, exploring the world and connecting with the community around him. Hines, a Blue Cross member, isn’t letting his age hold him back, and he offers advice and inspiration for others hoping to do the same.
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Finding a passion
Radio has been a part of John Hines’ life ever since he graduated high school. He attended the Brown Institute in Minneapolis, and then started his career at WAKC in Normal, Illinois, in July 1972.
“I was there for 13 months, three weeks, four days, and 37 minutes,” Hines says. “I wanted to come home to Minnesota.”
He found a job at a Twin Cities station in 1973, and has worked at stations throughout his career — broadcasting everything from news- talk radio to top country music.
“I’ve always been interested in the news and things that were going on in the world,” Hines says. “There are just so many great stories from individuals everywhere we go.”
That mindset has served him well in life, and it’s one of the reasons he still fills in on WCCO Radio from time to time. He still feels right at home — both on the air and in Minnesota — even though he spends much of his time these days in Florida.
“I am still in Minnesota as often as I can be,” Hines says. “Minnesota will always be my home.”
Logging Miles
Hines spent most of his four decades on the air waking up to a 4 a.m. alarm — a habit he still can’t break to this day. During his nine years with WCCO Radio in downtown Minneapolis, he’d often use that time to bike to work from his home in Mendota Heights.
There was a time he biked all the way to the State Fair for a broadcast — a favorite activity he did for many years — only to be informed that there was an electrical problem and he’d need to get to the studio downtown. He jumped right back on his bike and soaked in the scenery of his hometown.
Biking is still a huge part of Hines’ life. He also enjoys playing sports like golf and pickleball, for both the physical activity and the social connections. In fact, Hines appreciates almost anything that’ll keep him active, and encourages others to do the same.
“I try to get to the gym whenever I can,” Hines says.
Staying ahead of obstacles
Hines says he feels fortunate to not have any significant health challenges, despite aging into Medicare just a few years ago.
“I hate to say it, but I didn’t even think about it,” Hines says. “I try to stay healthy as best I can, including a yearly visit to my doctor for my annual wellness visit.”
But his superior health report card hasn’t come without any hiccups. Just before he turned 65, he was hiking in California when his knee started hindering his ability to walk downhill.
A knee replacement has helped him continue to lead an active lifestyle.
For Hines, that meant traveling the world. From a trip to Cuba a few years back with WCCO to interviewing 150 citizen soldiers in Iraq in 2004 — Hines says his experiences have opened his eyes to new perspectives.
“Every time you experience something different — whether it’s scenery on the highway in Alaska or climbing the stairs at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London to see the Vikings play the Browns a few years ago — these are all new experiences, new things to see, and it’s just part of an ongoing education and a reminder that the world isn’t that big,” Hines says.
Connecting with the community
Hines feels fortunate to have built lasting connections with citizens around the world. But some of his strongest bonds of all are with his seven siblings.
They catch up and check in with each other on a regular basis, and often reminisce about stories from their childhood in South Minneapolis. Those conversations go a long way in boosting each other’s mental health.
For older adults in particular, engaging in a community is important for maintaining
a healthy body and mind, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ways to get involved might include volunteering with a charitable organization, taking part in fitness classes or starting a book or dinner club with friends.
“If you don’t have those connections readily available, look for them. Make them,” Hines says.
Whether you find those people in your neighborhood, on a trip, or simply by turning on the radio — they can remind you that getting older doesn’t have to limit your enjoyment of life.
“Just meet it head on,” Hines says. “Meet life head on, and it certainly doesn’t need to slow down if you don’t want it to.”
John Hines is a contributor to Blue Cross Health and Wellness Blogs. Find his work at blog.bluecrossmn.com/author/johnhines.
