I've had the idea for this column bouncing around in my head for maybe two years. Just never acted on it. But then after he retired a few weeks ago, I decided it was time to write it. And, then after he died over the weekend, I knew the time had come.<br />
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Andy Rooney had been a fixture on "60 Minutes" for years. "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney" would end the show on many Sunday evenings.<br />
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And likely or not Andy would intone the phrase "Do you ever wonder...?" at one or maybe more places in the few minutes he had with the us.<br />
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So, with apologizes to Andy but with much respect and admiration...<br />
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Do you ever wonder what the plot of dirt we call Gainesville looked like a million years ago or will look like a million years form now?<br />
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Do you ever wonder, given all the bad guys he encounters, the attempted murders he's the victim of, the kidnappings, etc., why Mark Trail never has to show up in court to testify against these guys?<br />
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Do you ever wonder if there's a more lonely and boring job than being one of those yellow- or orange-shirted "Event Staff" security people who stand with their backs to the field during college and pro football games, never turning around, regardless of what is happening on the field?<br />
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Do you ever wonder why so many people are in such a hurry this day and time?<br />
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Do you ever wonder how many of the people you see everyday breaking the law by speeding are among those who look at illegal immigrants and their advocates and question "what is it about 'illegal' that you don't understand?"<br />
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Do you ever wonder why a car is called a car and a truck is called a truck and not vice versa or sand is called sand and grass is called grass and not vice versa and who decides these things?<br />
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Do you ever wonder why anyone would want to be President?<br />
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Do you ever wonder why people wear baseball-type caps backwards, especially adults?<br />
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Do you ever wonder why talk show hosts seem to always talk in absolutes instead of stating that what they are saying their opinion?<br />
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Do you ever wonder who the "we" is that they are always talking about as in "we gotta do some about so-and-so?"<br />
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Do you ever wonder if one of the most overused and misused words in the English language is "heroes?"<br />
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Do you ever wonder if the word "conservative" is the most overused word by many political candidates?<br />
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Do you ever wonder why Andy Rooney "wondered" so much?<br />
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Rest in peace, Andy.<br />
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<I>(Ken Stanford is the longtime Newsroom Manager for WDUN AM 550, WDUN 102.9FM, 1240 ESPN RADIO, and AccessNorthGa.com.)<I>
