“Use whatever gift God gave you to serve others, as faithful stewards of His grace." ~ 1 Peter 4:10
They say that “focused practice
leads to mastery.” For him, it may have saved his life.
Known as the “Man of a Thousand Voices,” Mel Blanc became
the most popular voice of cartoon characters from Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig, to Foghorn
Leghorn and Tweety Bird. His unusually thick vocal cords gave him the range of
an opera singer. His normal voice resembled Sylvester’s.
In January 1961, Blanc (52), cruised a notoriously dangerous
section of LA’s Sunset Boulevard when his Astin Martin was struck head-on. So
badly mangled, it took a torch to extricate the unconscious Blanc. The only
bone in his body not broken was his left arm.
Doctors didn’t expect him to live. One newspaper even
reported him already deceased. Blanc remained in a coma for three weeks unresponsive
to any treatment until his neurosurgeon proposed an interesting idea that he
thought might help.
He remained in a full-body cast for nearly a year, surviving chiefly on the power of other’s prayers. “I never realized how much goodwill my cartoon characters had built up for me. It enveloped me in a kind of serenity that made it possible for me to hear a small, quiet, inner voice.”
Talent is a gift, one that can be withdrawn at any time, an undeserved gift that can be repaid only by a sense of constant, humble gratitude to Almighty God.
The man of a thousand
voices found himself listening to one small voice that he’d never paid much
attention to before. The voice was inside him.
Given his God-given
talents, one might correctly expect Mel to be drawn to work with children. As a
teenager, he often passed by the Portland Shrine Hospital. Hearing about the
work they did with sick and disabled kids piqued an interest in their fellowship,
prompting him to join the Shiners.
Grateful for his
physical recovery, he began entertaining children at Shrine Hospital Children’s
Burn Center. "As I sat talking in Sylvester's voice to a darling little
girl, I thanked God for not revoking this unmerited gift. I don't know who
appreciates whom more, me or them,” he admitted.
In 1982 he produced “Ounce
of Prevention”, a twelve-minute television PSA starring Bugs Bunny and his “Looney”
pals about burn prevention in the home.
He continued his
charitable works up until his death in 1989 at the age of 81. His tombstone
includes the memorable line "That's all folks!
Father God, thank You for the gifts You’ve
given us that have enriched our lives beyond measure. We thank You for the
sacrifices You made to support us. May we continue to appreciate Your love each
minute of every day. Amen
