Norman Lear, one of the most successful television producers of all time (as if I needed to include that), is old. 93 to be precise. Still tack-sharp. Wise too, as confirmed during NPR's Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me with Peter Sagal last week (a re-broadcast). When asked what his secret to a good, long life is, Lear didn't miss a beat: "Two words: over and next." Queue the collective sigh of relief from the listening audience. The psychic burden we carry in not letting go and/or moving on (relationships, jobs, trauma, life in general) can be ... onerous. Lear knows from that. Thrice married (his current wife is a therapist), the man's expansive experiences include flying 52 combat missions in WWII and serving as co-officiant in Trey Parker's wedding. In between, there were just a few Emmys and a lot of effective political activism. I admire him for starting the progressive NPO People for the American Way (for which a dear law school friend went to work, student loans be damned) and producing Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, a show initially banned as too edgy on account of the divorced mom. Please.
"Over and next are underused words," but as important, he explained, there's "a hammock in between, which is the present moment, and that's where I am. In the hammock—in the here and now—between over and next."
We're with you Norm, hopefully, till we're 93.
Meanwhile, coming soon to a theater near you, an award winning documentary about his life:
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You.
"Over and next are underused words," but as important, he explained, there's "a hammock in between, which is the present moment, and that's where I am. In the hammock—in the here and now—between over and next."
We're with you Norm, hopefully, till we're 93.
Meanwhile, coming soon to a theater near you, an award winning documentary about his life:
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You.
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