And Now…the Rest of the Story

Paul Harvey died this weekend. I heard nothing about it until I was driving to work this morning, and couldn’t help but pause and think over the times when I had heard his oh-so-familiar and relaxing, gentle voice over the airwaves throughout my life.

Most of the time, I was with my grandparents when he came on in the afternoons. Usually, one or the other would be driving me home from school, or I might be riding around with my grandfather as he visited the businesses of the people he did taxes for. I specifically remember sitting in the back seat of my grandmother’s old, enormous wine-red Lincoln, with a Dairy Queen chocolate dipped cone in my hand, listening as he told “The Rest of the Story.” Nanny would always turn the volume up. I might’ve been five or six, but that memory is clear and sharp, something that happened often enough to imprint itself in my mind.

If, instead, I was riding with my grandfather, or if he were in the car, the topic of the broadcast would inevitably spark some sort of discussion. I was always included in the discussion, even when I was really too young to fully understand what was said, but my grandfather always listened to my contributions and even when we disagreed, never treated them as invalid, and always respected my right to voice those opinions.

This morning, when I heard Mr. Harvey’s obituary on NPR, it was those memories that popped fresh to my mind. Memories of my grandmother when her mind was still whole, listening to that mellow voice as if it held all the secrets of the universe; memories of my grandfather when I thought he could never get old, teaching me lessons that I didn’t even know were being taught.

Thank you, Paul Harvey, for your service. Yours was a trusted voice throughout my life.