I wanted to be Stan Laurel, then I wanted to be Fred Astaire and then Captain Kangaroo. I actually started out as a radio announcer when I was 17 and never left the business so that's literally 70 years.
Dick Van DykeRead
Somebody asked what I wanted on my gravestone. I'm just going to put: 'Glad I Could Help.'
Interpretation
The quote reflects a desire to be remembered for the positive impact one has on others.
This quote by Dick Van Dyke conveys a simple yet profound sentiment about the importance of helping others throughout one's life. It suggests that the ultimate legacy one can leave behind is the mark made on the lives of others through kindness and support, highlighting a life well-lived focused on contributing positively to the world.
In practice
During a speech at a community event, I could use this quote to emphasize the importance of helping others.
I wanted to be Stan Laurel, then I wanted to be Fred Astaire and then Captain Kangaroo. I actually started out as a radio announcer when I was 17 and never left the business so that's literally 70 years.
I didn't even start dancing until I was in my thirties, and it was like flying.
I get little kids who recognize me from 'Mary Poppins,' and it just delights me because it's our third generation.
Just knowing you don't have the answers is a recipe for humility, openness, acceptance, forgiveness, and an eagerness to learn - and those are all good things.
I never had a lot of drive, but because I had family responsibilities, I had a lot of tenacity - the tenacity of a drowning man.
I was lucky to get the kinds of parts I wanted. I always said I didn't want to do anything my kids can't see.
There is just one life for each of us: our own.
I no longer knew whether it was raindrops or my own tears that were flowing down my cheeks, and I hated to have to drag along this relic of a sniveling child.
When I look at my daily schedule, I feel like a trout flopping about on a dock, drowning in the air. Some people are ruthless with their schedules. Not me. I wing it.
This isn't life in the fast lane, it's life in the oncoming traffic.
Behind every sweet smile, there is a bitter sadness that no one can ever see and feel.
Now no joy but lacks salt That is not dashed with pain And weariness and fault; I crave the stain Of tears, the aftermark Of almost too much love, The sweet of bitter bark And burning clove.
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