I did not know his name was Tom Magliozzi until the day he died. That was yesterday (Monday 3 November).
Sigh. He was 77.
But I did know him, to a degree. Yeah, it feels like a loss. I was accompanied by his voice for the last two decades, almost.
I guess he and his brother, younger by 7 years, Ray, had already retired a couple of years ago (2012). I did not know that until I looked it up today. The magic of media and a long career of work made that possible. Good job, NPR! (National Public Radio, in case you didn't know.)
Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers. I thought their last name was Tappet. But no, that was a play on words. Typical of their show. Ha ha. Cue the guffaws. Lots of laughs, fun conversation. Friendliness and silliness. Like my mom. Who had a similar Boston/New England accent. And sadly reminded by this passing, that she also passed this year, 2014. She was 73.
Ahh, the lifetime of memories.
I didn't really pay attention to Click and Clack until around 1996 or 97. They had been big for years. Welcome to the bigger world, Eddie. Bigger and smaller. Every year we either expand our mind or regress in our mental abilities, right? I never was that interested in cars, but I was always interested in people. These guys were real people. They embraced their loves.
Click and Clack were good at both people and vehicles. They were friends. And, owning a car myself, we cannot help but wonder what is going on under the hood, between the wheels. How do others deal with these problems? And then there is so many hours by ourselves in the car, often they, these car guy jokers, were the accompaniment. They helped cheer me up many lonely hours. And they fed the mind.
For me, my first major car problem was a bad alternator. Okay, I had to pay for a used alternator. Aw, a lifetime of additional car expenses! Never ends.
The cost of living. I got a good deal on it, that used alternator from a parts store in Orem, Utah. Especially a good bargain considering a friend helped me install it in his garage. Frugality. Kindliness. Making do. That was a good friend. I never met Tom, nor talked to him by phone, but I consider him a friend.
And those funny Boston accents. Another reminder of home. Parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins. Childhood.
It's part of my life, New England and Massachusetts. With this attachment to these people and places is the real fact that there is the ever present death. The pilgrims and Puritans are history. And so are these New Englanders.
We celebrate life after a good person has died. Another has joined the ranks of history! Well done, Tom.
And now in the dying time of fall, we celebrate life in its fullest and cheeriest.
Tom Magliozzi. Thanks for your personality, your brotherliness, and intellect.
Through talking about an area I have marginal interest, you made my life more complete. By being an avuncular brother on air. By really living bigger than just inside yourself.
I will miss you. Funny thing, radio. Media. Books. Art. We make friends with vicarious people across the years and climes.
And you were a welcome voice, Click, or Clack. I hope you meet my mom really soon. She is silly and loves to laugh. How many hours have I spent in a vehicle with her? Not enough. Thanks for bringing me closer to her.
We'll all take a ride later. And have some good laughs.
So, don't drive like my brother, Tom. Thanks for being one.
Blog on, EMC.
Sigh. He was 77.
But I did know him, to a degree. Yeah, it feels like a loss. I was accompanied by his voice for the last two decades, almost.
I guess he and his brother, younger by 7 years, Ray, had already retired a couple of years ago (2012). I did not know that until I looked it up today. The magic of media and a long career of work made that possible. Good job, NPR! (National Public Radio, in case you didn't know.)
Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers. I thought their last name was Tappet. But no, that was a play on words. Typical of their show. Ha ha. Cue the guffaws. Lots of laughs, fun conversation. Friendliness and silliness. Like my mom. Who had a similar Boston/New England accent. And sadly reminded by this passing, that she also passed this year, 2014. She was 73.
Ahh, the lifetime of memories.
I didn't really pay attention to Click and Clack until around 1996 or 97. They had been big for years. Welcome to the bigger world, Eddie. Bigger and smaller. Every year we either expand our mind or regress in our mental abilities, right? I never was that interested in cars, but I was always interested in people. These guys were real people. They embraced their loves.
Click and Clack were good at both people and vehicles. They were friends. And, owning a car myself, we cannot help but wonder what is going on under the hood, between the wheels. How do others deal with these problems? And then there is so many hours by ourselves in the car, often they, these car guy jokers, were the accompaniment. They helped cheer me up many lonely hours. And they fed the mind.
For me, my first major car problem was a bad alternator. Okay, I had to pay for a used alternator. Aw, a lifetime of additional car expenses! Never ends.
The cost of living. I got a good deal on it, that used alternator from a parts store in Orem, Utah. Especially a good bargain considering a friend helped me install it in his garage. Frugality. Kindliness. Making do. That was a good friend. I never met Tom, nor talked to him by phone, but I consider him a friend.
And those funny Boston accents. Another reminder of home. Parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins. Childhood.
It's part of my life, New England and Massachusetts. With this attachment to these people and places is the real fact that there is the ever present death. The pilgrims and Puritans are history. And so are these New Englanders.
We celebrate life after a good person has died. Another has joined the ranks of history! Well done, Tom.
And now in the dying time of fall, we celebrate life in its fullest and cheeriest.
Tom Magliozzi. Thanks for your personality, your brotherliness, and intellect.
Through talking about an area I have marginal interest, you made my life more complete. By being an avuncular brother on air. By really living bigger than just inside yourself.
I will miss you. Funny thing, radio. Media. Books. Art. We make friends with vicarious people across the years and climes.
And you were a welcome voice, Click, or Clack. I hope you meet my mom really soon. She is silly and loves to laugh. How many hours have I spent in a vehicle with her? Not enough. Thanks for bringing me closer to her.
We'll all take a ride later. And have some good laughs.
So, don't drive like my brother, Tom. Thanks for being one.
Blog on, EMC.
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