Thursday, February 16, 2006
My apologies for the lack of frequent postings. Blame it on absence from home base and an antique
laptop that is not a very good traveling companion. (High speed Internet, what's that?)
At a meeting of journalists in St. Petersburg, Fla., I had a delightful visit with Kay Howard of the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, a member of the International Association of Obituarists. (Yes, there is an organization
for everyone.) We had some interesting discussions after I inquired about the obituary for Coretta Scott King.
One general comment I found worth sharing, which may offer the secret to a long life: "Anytime you write an obit on someone
in advance, they won't die for 20 years."
Will Rogers didn't write his obit, but he did write his own epitaph. In a comment for the Boston
Globe on June 16, 1930, he said:
When I die, my epitaph or whatever you call those signs on gravestones is going to read: "I joked about
every prominent man of my time, but I never met a man I didn't like." I am so proud of that I can hardly wait to die
so it can be carved. And when you come to my grave you will find me sitting there, proudly reading it."
The marker is at the Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore, Okla.
Friday, February 3, 2006
Dispatch from Florida
On this date in 1927, Will Rogers wrote:
ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 3 - Had breakfast this morning with John D. Rockefeller, for which I
received a fine breakfast and a brand new dime. Went out with him and watched him play eight holes of golf, for which
I received another dime.
Made 20 cents clear. Received more jokes from him than I gave, as he is certainly
keen and has a great sense of humor.
Had a very pleasant morning and would have stayed longer, but he run out of dimes.
Note the telegraphic style ... that's because Rogers sent these dispatches by Western
Union and they were published as "Daily Telegrams".
That wouldn't be possible today. On January 27, Western Union discontinued its telegraph
service.
Wednesday, February 1, 2006
Simple writing
One thing that impresses me about Will Rogers' writing is its simplicity. He once said, "I love words, but I don't
like strange ones." It's remarkable how many of his sentences have short, simple words. Many of his familiar sayings
contain words of one or two syllables. For example (number of two or more syllables in parentheses):
All I know is what I read in the papers (1)
I never met a man I didn't like (2)
Rumor travels faster but it don't stay put as long as truth (3)
I don't make jokes, I just watch the Government and report the facts (2)
We are here just for a spell and then pass on...So get a few laughs and do the best you
can. Live your life so that whenever you lose, you are ahead (2)
No man is great if he thinks he is (0)
See what I mean?
