Debate, and discuss, just dont Bore me.
Published on July 8, 2012 By Dr Guy In Misc

Another great died today.  At least in my book.  This time it was Ernest Borgnine.  An actor who entertained a young boy and young man on many occasions.  I really loved his cameo in RED, and he looked great for being 95.  But alas, our bodies wear out usually long before our minds do.

Thinking back over the people that I have written about, the ones that I miss as father time chases all of us down to the ground, I noticed that most of the ones I miss the most are not the super stars.  Or the major actors.  They are the supporting actors, or the almost famous sports stars or people.  And I think I know why,

The great ones are usually larger than life. They may be as human as you or I, but most of us cannot relate to them because they are the great ones. We mourn their passing, but it is not as deeply felt as the supporting cast.  They are the ones that seem to hit the hardest.  Because we see ourselves in them as well.  Not superstars, just good people who did a great job.  Kind of like how we would like to see ourselves.

I know one man, who most would agree is a superstar in his own rights.  Yet he confided to close friends one day that he still is striving to be as great as his grandfather - a man almost no one knows anything about,  But to this man, his grandfather will always be larger than life - a superstar.  Someone to strive to be like, but which is a constant effort, not something we think we attain in real life.

We attain the stature of Ernest Borgnine (and know we can easily sit down with him and have a beer), yet the superstars?  The Katherine Hepburns, or Spencer Tracys?  Nah!  They are on a pedestal. 

Ernest Borgnine was one of the greats, yet he was just a regular joe - and that is what made him so special to me.  I will miss his presence.  He made his roles "human" and for that I thank him and wish his family well.

 

RIP Ernest Borgnine.


Comments
on Jul 10, 2012

With you all the way on this one, Doc.  He was one of my very favorites.  Bill O'Reilly had clips from an interview with him from last year and he looked as sharp and healthy as a man half his age.  I will miss him, too.

on Jul 23, 2012

I saw him on Leno or one of those shows when he was 90. He was as feisty as ever!

One of our digital OTA channels ran a 21 hour marathon on McHale's Navy.  It was fun to watch the show again.