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My wife and I began listening to “Night Sounds” on a local radio station a couple of decades ago, and we either got busy, and forgot about it, or the broadcast was dropped from the station schedule. In the meantime, years passed and the host of the program, Bill Pearce, passed away (in 2010).
My wife and I began listening to “Night Sounds” on a local radio station a couple of decades ago, and we either got busy, and forgot about it, or the broadcast was dropped from the station schedule. In the meantime, years passed and the host of the program, Bill Pearce, passed away (in 2010).
About a year
ago, I discovered that archival segments of this wonderful radio broadcast are
available on the internet. Of course, I was elated.
Night Sounds
is a Christian radio production, and consists of a half hour format, with Bill
Pearce monologing a particular topic; interspersed with Christian musical
selections.
I know this
sounds somewhat like an advertisement, but as I previously implied, I
absolutely LOVE this broadcast, so much so that I have “saved” over a hundred
of the daily segments on an attachable hard drive.
Bill Pearce
was an accomplished trombonist and an extraordinary bass vocalist. He
occasionally played his own music on the Night Sounds broadcast. He produced
and narrated the Bible on cassette tapes, and regularly introduced his music at
various venues throughout the United States. Mr. Pearce was also a member of
“The 16 Singing Men” group which often appeared live, and made numerous video
and audio recordings.
While at a
high school graduation exercise I noticed a poignant phrase on the screen.
“My students
are living messages to a time that I will never see.”
As a former
university professor, and current counselor and formal mentor, I can relate. We
simply cannot stay here, but we have been given the inestimable privilege,
while we still live and move and breathe, to impact those who will “pick up our
mantle” and carry on in our place.
Bill Pearce
was like that. Even as he neared the end of his days, he was thinking about his
impact on future generations.
It seems
that one of the producers of Night Sounds once stopped by the nursing home
where Mr. Pearce resided. And in the course of his conversation with Bill, and
knowing how important humor is to good emotional health, especially to someone
in a skilled nursing environment, he decided to tease him a bit.
“You know,
Bill, some of our accomplishments, some of what we gleaned while we were here,
and what we meant to leave behind for future generations just aren’t meant to
outlive us.”
With this,
the former radio host frowned, and the furrows in his brow seemed suddenly
deeper.
“You mean,
you mean…”
“Mr. Smith”
immediately set Mr. Pearce at ease and relieved his anxiety.
“Now, now
Bill. I’m just teasing ya. You needn’t be concerned. Those hundreds upon
hundreds of radio broadcasts which you narrated over the course of half a
century are meant to outlive you. And we have made arrangements for those
broadcasts to live in perpetuity through means of recording, radio and
internet. Never fear. What you have painstakingly created and given your best
efforts to will go right on impacting the next generation, and countless
generations to come.”
With this,
the little man managed a broad smile, and it seemed the weight of the world
dropped from his shoulders.
We all want
to leave a legacy. The legacy which Bill left to the world is incalculable.
I would
encourage you to tune in to his daily broadcast. As I implied, it is available
on the internet 24/7/365, at www.nightsoundsradio.org
Bill’s
listeners are living messages to a time that he will never see.
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By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary" Vol. 9. Vol.'s 1-15, Copyright 2015
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If you would like to see the titles and access hundreds of my blogs from 2015, do the following:
Click on 2015 in the index to the right of this blog. When my December 31st blog, "The Shot Must Choose You" appears, click on the title. All my 2015 blog titles will come up in the index
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