I don’t like to get involved in public outpouring of grief when celebrities die. In experience I have seen lots of posts on LinkedIn jumping on the bandwagon of someone’s death in the hope of boosting one’s profile and post reach.
There are lots of post types that get my back up, far too many to mention here, (and that’s for another day) but, another one is, stopping and giving a homeless person money and taking a photo of them both and saying, “Hey Look, I just gave a homeless person some money”. Do you really need to embarrass that person? You basically have paid for the promotion at someone’s expense of being on hard times. Get over yourself and next time give them the money, unconditionally, have a chat, shake their hand, and wish them a good and safe day! Idiots!
So, my reason for mentioning a celebrity death is not to boost a post reach or my profile but to share how I felt when I heard the news and how this person had an effect on my life even though I didn’t know them.
I am in two minds of naming the person as this breaks my rules, but I do not want to be rude. He was a Radio DJ and was on the BBC combined over several channels for over 40 years, and he died last Tuesday.
I love the radio, and this is something that takes me back to my childhood with happy memories. My Dad would always have the ‘Wireless’ on, (an old name for the radio, which obviously has a different meaning these days mostly relating to gadgets connecting to the internet via a router). It would be dragged out of the hall and plugged-in in the corner of the front room on the floor where it would sit for hours, until the end of day and it would be unplugged and returned to the hall in solitary confinement. Much to the relief of my Mum of both the stopping of the noise and the tripping hazard, it was the 80’s we didn’t care about health and safety then!
This DJ played a huge part in my early years, firstly in Radio 1 and then Radio 2 in later years. I would hear his show after school and then when I left school to start college, I was free to tune in to more of the show, parts that I would have usually missed.
When in employment I would also hear in the Warehouses and Transport office when I would linger to catch some of show. Obviously, as technology progressed, and also my career it would be more accessible to listen to the radio and more and more offices would have the radio on during the work hours. How cool and relaxed the office had become!
Originally some jobs had a ‘no-phones on desk’ policy, never mind earphones while working how far have we come for accountants to be dressing down in jeans, T-Shirt and Trainers, a step too far really for me.
“Look Professional – Feel Professional”
I turned up for college night school accounting enrolment in my suit after finishing work and going straight there. The Teacher took one look at me and said in a happy tone ‘’Ahh, a student who looks like an accountant’. It’s a profession that requires a suit, and I was proud to be an accountant.
But, once again, I digress….
So, upon hearing the news I was deeply saddened, although I hadn’t been a keen or regular listener before he left his role at the BBC in September 2022, I immediately had floods of memories of listening to the shows and the laughs it provided me.
Fond, Fond memories of my first Radio 1 Roadshow I saw on Cornwall’s Fistral beach while on our annual holiday to Newquay as a child. Seeing the masses of people turning up to see the Road Show. We were there just by chance that week and what an experience it was. Again, happy family memories brought back by the sad news.
I have realised over time, that you really find out more about a person after their death by means of tributes or at funerals, than you knew when they were alive, and it makes me reflect on how perhaps they were unappreciated and perhaps also taken for granted.
With death comes regret and I wished I had listened more now knowing the effort, time, and life this person put into his job, just to entertain us, the millions of listeners.
For this DJ I feel he was dumped by his employer, the BBC, and tossed out like an old bin bag, without any thoughts for his feelings or indeed his mental health.
It’s sad, very sad, but happy memories will prevail.
“I have done it! What a feeling, I have achieved something today, this week, this year. I have blogged today.”
Thanks for stopping by – Have a good day!
The Depressed Accountant™
IMAGE CREDIT: (Image: Smiley Miley)