Jack LaLanne -- An Appreciation

Apparently Rush Limbaugh mocked Jack LaLanne. For dying despite his vegetarianism. At 96 years of age.

There are very few great men in this world. But Jack was one. He plausibly added a million years of life, and many millions of years of better life, to the human race, by his presence on this planet. How many people lived longer or lived better because Jack LaLanne was there for decade after decade after decade, proving it could be done and encouraging them that THEY COULD DO IT.

I'm hardly ever shocked, but my God. Rush, listen to yourself.

MILLIONS OF YEARS OF HEALTHIER, HAPPIER LIFE ... for all of us ... because Jack LaLanne was a member of the human race.

Because Jack LaLanne was the best of us, the absolute best of what being human is, and walked the walk and told us that we could walk the walk, too, and made us not believe it, but KNOW IT. "Look," he said year after year, "here I am. Here's what I do. You do it too!" And people did, by the damn millions.

Jack LaLanne might have done more measurable good for the human race than any other human being of the twentieth century. Think about THAT.

I wasn't going to write about Jack LaLanne's death, despite having done jumping jacks with Jack when I was a boy, despite the fact that his presence in my life is one of the reasons I didn't have a heart attack at 44, like my father, why today at 48 I can run full court basketball for 2 straight hours. Folks, I bought the man's damn juicer (which was terrible) ... to this day when I exercise, I almost always hear Jack LaLanne's voice in my head. "One more!"