Farewell, Mr. Rooney!

Every time Andy Rooney did his signature spiel (“A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney”), I knew that the Sunday’s “60 Minutes” was coming to an end.  As every viewer of that show knows, Mr. Rooney was the show closer.

I remember one segment he devoted to dead time, I mean clocks and watches that didn’t work anymore.  He seemed to have a penchant for keeping them.  But Mr. Rooney got my undivided attention because like him I shared the same attachment to non-working time pieces!

How many people can make commentaries on everyday trifles and ordinary absurdities in life that Mr. Rooney shared with the public and make us think that the topic was of some significance?  He had a knack for reading what’s on the Average Joe’s mind that not even the person realizes that he is thinking about.  Mr. Rooney lived up to what every writer should do, “to tell the truth,” which was eactly what he did.

His first “60 Minutes” commentary aired on July 2, 1978, complaining about people’s fixation on car accident deaths during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.  According to him, it was “one of the safest weekends of the year to be going someplace.”  He was certainly right!  Although he didn’t exit the world in a car accident, he crossed over on such an ordinary day right after Halloween.  In his tyical blunt, even cranky, and no-nonsense style, he expressed his unflinching, sometimes unutterable, views of the everyday for over three decades.

Mr. Rooney’s commentaries were informative, albeit full of sarcasm, but I guess that seeing the negatives of life, something that many of us don’t even notice, was his mission on earth.  I’m certain that this guy whose friends fondly called Andy genuinely loved his job and must have dreaded the day that he would be forced to end his television career.  Retirement was probably never in his agenda because a month after doing his final 1,097^th “60 Minutes” commentary, his health gave up on him and it was clearly his time to go.  I’m sure that if Mr. Rooney had a say, he would have preferred to exit the universe that way.  No more golden years in a rocking chair watching a younger version of himself aping his gig.

Honestly, when his very last segment aired, I felt a bit of sadness.  I don’t know anyone like Mr. Rooney who opened his big mouth and got away with it.  He’s one of a kind.  Although countless of people he knew in his lifetime, even the millions of avid fans of his broadcasting career, will miss him, at 92 it’s certainly a good time to go.

Mr. Rooney, every Sunday night you made your followers chuckle and see the wisdom of your thoughts.  May you rest in peace now.  If there’s anyone who deserves it, you do, sir!