Johnny Carson

"The Tonight Show" was never the same after Johnny Carson retired. He left too soon, in the opinion of all of his fans, but Johnny himself said it was the perfect time to go. He said everyone has to know the right time to get off the stage. So he got off. And the stage at NBC was never the same.

I spent many nights in the 1980s watching Johnny Carson. During some very troubling times of my life, The Tonight Show was a soothing way to end the day. Johnny made you laugh because he laughed along with you. When I watched his show, the rest of the world went away for a little while, which is just what I needed at that time. Somehow, having those laughs at the end of those very hard days made the pillow softer and the sleep deeper.

There will be no memorial service for Johnny Carson. He was a private person during his lifetime, and I guess he wanted to remain private in death as well. Or maybe he wanted his family and friends to quietly, privately remember his life instead of trying to glorify his death.

There is a lesson in everything. Today's lesson: glorify life, not death.