Sunday, March 1, 2009

Days Like This Make Me Feel Old

It's hard to admit but youth, as they say, has passed me by leaving in its wake a feast of memories, some more bittersweet than others in their rememberance. Watched Paul Harvey (a rerun) on Larry King...two Icons from so long ago, and now one of them has passed to the great beyond, and I am saddened at the loss of someone who was such a part of my life for so many years. Larry King asked him if he had a favorite, "and now for the rest of the story" segment. I have my own.

Years ago I was driving across the Pennsylvania Turnpike on the way home from a crafts show. It was late night, and reception was limited to just two AM stations, one of them playing Gospel Music, the other one bringing me the distinctive voice of Paul Harvey as he delived the news.

He explained that college women (I think he used the phrase girls) found middle aged men attractive. I was in my late 30's then, and felt pretty good at this bit of GOOD NEWS as he went to commercial break.

After doing his pitch for some product I don't remember, he came back with his famous, "and now for the rest of the story" line followed by the explanation that College Aged women believed middle age was 31. OUCH...that one hurt, and recalling that late night news piece, the times I have shared that story with friends still makes me smile. The older we get, the more it seems that our heroes have passed to the great beyond...perhaps you know it is your own time when you can remember no hereos that are still with the living.

At 53 I know I still have a lot of good years in front of me, but sitting here typing away, thinking about Paul Harvey and many of the other great Americans that have passed before him during my life time, I cannot help but feel just a little bit over the hill. As Red Skelton used to say, "Good Night, and may God Bless."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"GOOD DAY" Mr. Harvey