This is the second time I’ve randomly turned on the TV to discover someone important has died. Last time, it was the pope. Honestly, I’ve avoided the news for awhile, so I didn’t even notice that Peter Jennings had been off the air or that he had lung cancer. I just watched the special report summing up his life, and it was pretty damn amazing. I don’t think I ever granted him the respect he deserved. He really did become one of the great, memorable anchors. The man had a way with words, and it seems easy to overlook that as you’re taking in the news live. But truly, it’s an amazing gift to be able to speak so eloquently and intelligently in such situations.

I’m not certain that we will call him the Walter Cronkite of our generation, but he’s certainly close to it. It’s strange to think about never hearing his name spoken before or after the news.

Anyway, I was just really moved by the special report, so I had to share.