Happy Birthday! .....

… to a man who has been telling us “the rest of the story” for the better part of a century. Paul Harvey Aurandt was born on this day in 1918.

HERE is a good write-up on Harvey’s life and times from his hometown newspaper, the Chicago Tribune.

As a radio broadcaster and commentator, Harvey has done things his way for a loooong time, and he’s taken millions of us along for the ride over the decades. Though I’m rarely at a loss for words, I find it difficult to adequately describe Harvey’s impact, and his appeal to listeners … but I’ll try.

In the summer of 1982, I was a seasonal employee for the New Mexico State University Cultural Resource Management Department (their contract archaeology office) living in Farmington and working in the San Juan Basin – New Mexico’s “other oilpatch.” In the mornings, we’d head out to survey sites proposed for some type of development. From the high points we could see across quite a long stretch of the “Four Corners” region, and numerous well pads and service roads criss-crossing the region. There was plenty of traffic on those roads … hey, we were still enjoying a boom, right?

And then, at ten o’clock in the morning. you would see that traffic stop and pull over to the side of the road … and so would we. Turns out, everyone was taking this same time for a morning break, to finish up the last of their coffee, check-in by radio with their office … and listen to Paul Harvey. Then, almost on cue - just a minute or two after Harvey said “Good Day!” – you would see the vehicles begin to move again.

Good day to YOU, sir … and thanks!