Good day...

As I young child, maybe around 6 years old, I met a man with a warm disposition and the sweetest grandfatherly voice. My mom and I enjoyed him very much and made it a point to get together with him at about the same time every morning. Together we'd listen as he'd share anecdotes and interesting little bits of this and that, usually relating to current events or special people he'd learned about. His sparkling wit was always a high point in our mornings.

Through the years my visits with him became somewhat sporadic but I would check in with him every so often and just like a time machine his voice would take me back to early mornings spent with my mom, each of us watching the time, waiting for him to arrive and then each of us shushing the other so we wouldn't miss the news he was about to share with us. And then, as he was leaving, the three of us, in unison, would wish each other "Good day" ...mom and I giggling at our goofy morning ritual.

Eventually my friend and I lost touch and several years went by before I ran into him again. I had missed his familiar voice and matter of fact chatter so much, I once again made it a part of my routine to hook up with him each morning and occasionally we even got together in the afternoons. It was during those afternoon visits I learned about some fascinating people and events. Some people had risen from bleak beginnings others came from privileged backgrounds -some events were cataclysmic and others more everyday moments but each of them had their own interesting story and in some way were part of our culture and/or history.

I was so sad today to learn that my friend has died. At 90 years old, I think it's safe to assume that he lived a rich life and had many friends all over the world. Although we never actually met, I call him my friend because after hearing his distinctive voice for so many years and all the fond memories I have associated with it, that's just how I think of him. I will miss his familiar greeting of "Hello Americans" and his upbeat delivery of the not so main-stream news and I'll miss our afternoons together with him telling me "the rest of the story". That said, I think most of all, I'll miss his trademark sign-off, wishing me "Good day!"

Goodbye, Paul Harvey.