SEPTEMBER 24th - Success is a Relative Term



This day in 1968 was the series premiere of CBS’ 60 Minutes created by Don Hewitt. CBS has called the show the most successful broadcast in television history, though I suppose the term successful is relative. Being on air for 46 years is pretty successful. Drawing 13 million viewers per week, also successful. But is that more successful than Bob Ross’ The Joy of Painting on PBS? That happy guy used bang out 13 episodes in two days and did so for 11 years. He also taught people the difference between mistakes and happy accidents and gave otherwise uplifting advice while remaining delightfully pleasant. And his hair was better than Morley Safer. Not sold? How about Mister Roger’s Neighborhood? Educating children everywhere from 1968 to 2001. That’s pretty successful. Is it a beautiful day in the neighborhood, Fred? I think it is. Not to take away from the brilliance of 60 Minutes. Even the ticking of the clock is iconic; although when was the last time you heard a clock ticking in your everyday life? I’m just pointing out that success can be seen differently. For instance, Ashton Kutcher was one of the highest paid actors on television, and while I’m not a Kutcher-hater for mere sport, I don’t think that makes him more successful an actor than say Charlie Hunnam from Sons of Anarchy. But he did marry Demi Moore and then Mila Kunis, so he might be more successful at life. But again it’s all relative. Success, for you, may be ambition and power. Great--just don’t get corrupt delusions of grandeur and wind up like Hitler or Stalin. Maybe you believe in the John Lennon grade-school story and measure success as happiness. Maybe you want your life to mean something for others. There’s no road map, and hopefully you can come close to achieving your version if you try hard enough. Unless success to you is being the most interesting man in the world. Because in that case, with apologies to the Dos Equis Guy, you’ll never be as interesting Christopher Walken. So find a new way to define success. You can contemplate that while you watch Scott Pelley and friends tell you interesting information on current events in exactly 60 Minutes (aptly named by the way).

This day has been Marked.

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