It was enough for Toni Clapés to say "I think this will be the last year that I will present and direct Versió RAC1" and a national choir of afternoon widows and widowers has torn their garments and, amidst great shrieks, has begun to mourn in advance. Normal: we are talking about radio history and a program that has managed to talk about what everyone talks about but in a way that no one else does, with a freedom that has grown as its creator's personality has matured.
This Tuesday, true to his free and impulsive personality, Clapés clarified that we should stick with the "I think," but it will no longer prevent doubt from unsettling hundreds of thousands of people. For decades, the audience has found in the program's director and his puppets a few hours that are clearly scrupulously thought out for the people, where fake characters tell many truths and where listeners can take shelter from so much mediocre solemnity that circulates through life.
Clapés says that this year, when he returned, he thought "I've had enough." This is where his reflection gained plausibility. There are decisions that arrive when you return from a vacation break and notice that the daily grind has ceased to be your master. There are days when you wake up and see everything crystal clear. Or the other way around, and amidst the roar of the daily traffic jam you feel full of confidence to dare to walk through the exit door. In Clapés's case, and after nearly 30 years of the program, the possibility of messing up by quitting is nil. Mind you, both he and the listeners will have to face an unknown dimension.
