When I was a kid in the 70s, I would work for my dad bailing hay in the summers. I always had a small transistor radio with me…

At noon, I would break for lunch and park the tractor under a tree for shade, eat my lunch, and listen to Paul Harvey. Hearing his voice now brings back memories of those warm summers when my parents, my brother, my grandmothers, aunts, and uncles were all alive and well. My heart aches for that time.

From 1952 through 2008, Paul Harvey’s voice would reach as many as 24 million people a week. The “Paul Harvey News” was carried on 1,200 radio stations, 400 American Forces Network stations, and 300 newspapers. Arguably, it was his iconic radio segment “The Rest of the Story” that most people are familiar with.

America found a treasure in Paul Harvey. Generations tuned in not just for his stories and wisdom but also for the calming effect of his assured, easily recognizable voice, which transported you to another place for a few moments, challenging and perhaps even changing your way of thinking forever.

Paul Harvey could teach you a lot about life if you just listened. I miss those times—moments of self-reflection and deep thought. Sometimes I wonder if we take enough time for that anymore.

Long before he started his career in television, Paul Harvey wrote an essay that he updated several times throughout the years. It’s a piece that has stirred controversy, and you can interpret it in your own way—whether symbolically or literally—it has a way of ringing true either way.

In this audio clip, you’ll hear Paul Harvey read the 1996 version of that essay. It’s remarkable how accurate some of his “predictions” are.