I’ll Be Seeing You …
I’m a little melancholy today. I’m sad because of the news that Johnny Carson has passed away. People that know me might be surprised to know that Johnny Carson meant that much to me. I think there are several reasons that I liked Johnny.
One of the reasons I always like Johnny was that he was a fantastic comedian. I don’t know that anyone has ever had the timing that he did. I used to plead with my parents to let me stay up and watch the monologue. I knew there was no way they’d let me stay up for the whole hour, but occasionally I’d get to watch that brilliant monologue. I really wanted to be a stand up comic when I grew up and watching Johnny Carson deliver jokes was watching the master at work.
Another reason I liked Johnny was that he was timeless. Johnny came on the tonight show in 1962 and lasted until 1992. What a run for someone on television, especially a daily show. No one lasts that long in that business. Johnny was just as funny 30 years later as he was in the beginning. During my childhood and especially teenage years when things seemed chaotic, I could always count on Carson being on. I think Johnny Carson was one of the good guys of show business, not perfect, but a good guy.
The most important thing that makes me fond of Johnny Carson came on his last show. As he signed off for the last time he said “I’m the luckiest man in the world. I found something I always wanted to do, and enjoyed every single minute of it”. At the very time I heard Carson say that, I was contemplating a career adjustment. My flying career seemed to be flailing as the airlines were all laying off pilots and I thought maybe I should do something else. I heard Johnny Carson say those words and realized that I would not be happy if I wasn’t doing something I loved. Who would have thought that one of my biggest inspirations would be a stand up comic from Nebraska.
From what I’ve read, I think I’ll get to see Mr. Carson on the other side. I’ll bet he’s up there wondering why we’re making such a fuss.
Mr. Carson, as the words of your favorite song go “I’ll Be Seeing You” ….