Peter Jennings Dies at Age 67
08/08/2005 06:52 Filed in: Culture Watch
All my adult life, if I've been able to catch the evening news at 6:30 PM, my choice has always been Peter Jennings. I don't really know why, other than I just liked him better than Rather and Brokaw. I felt like I could trust him (not to say anything negative toward the other two anchors). When someone like Jennings dies after he's been invited into your home thousands of times, it's like losing a close friend, or maybe even a family member.
With the retirement of Rather and Brokaw, Jennings seemed set to rule the network news alone. But it wasn't meant to be. I was surprised to learn he had lung cancer in April like everyone else. I never would have guessed he was a smoker. I don't think I would have even guessed he was 67. He looked to me to be somewhere in his fifties. And as I grow older, 67 seems that much younger.
Peter Jennings is someone I admired. In spite of the lack of a high school education, let alone a college degree, he excelled in one of the toughest, most competitive fields possible. He made it to the top, and in spite of his lack of formal education, he still managed to learn from the events of the world and instruct us every night. I read in one of the stories about his death that during the 9/11 bombings, he logged some sixty hours of television time. That's more than just dedication to a job. His voice that week, like that of one's own father, brought comfort to a nation in the midst of crisis.
I remember watching with interest Peter Jennings' special, The Search for Jesus. Although I didn't agree with some of the voices on the program, I felt Jennings' effort to be genuinely motivated--more sincere than sensationalistic.
In the end, I hope he found Him...