It’s a bittersweet pleasure, sitting here listening to Garrison Keillor broadcast his last episode as host of A Prairie Home Companion. It has been a constant favorite of mine through the years. He has captured the best of small town middle America. He may tell stories of Lake Wobegon, Minnesota but there is a touch of Lake Wobegon in all the small American towns I have ever lived in.
He has a sense of humor comparable to Mark Twain and a singing voice that blends well with the musical guests that he has hosted year in and year out for forty two years. I didn’t discover him until he had been on the air for almost a decade but I’ve been a fan ever since then.
I was worried that we were going to lose the show all together but last year Garrison started grooming Chris Thile to take over for him. It will be a different show but I am confident in this bright young star’s ability to keep the show’s standards high. He is one of my favorite musicians and he has revealed a sparkling sense of humor in the shows that he has guest hosted this last year.
So farewell Garrison. We’ll miss the weekly dose of the news from Lake Wobegon. I’m sure there are things you want to do and places that you want to see. Good luck and God’s speed. And as you always say, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”