NEW YORK — Andy Rooney insisted he's not retiring. He's a writer, and a illustrator never stops existence a writer.

Even so, he delivered his test weekly essay on "60 Minutes" Sun night, his terminal in his 33 eld with the newsmagazine. It was a moment, he said he has dreaded.

"I desire I could do this forever. I can't, though," he said.

CBS News declared terminal hebdomad that the 92-year-old Rooney would be stepping downbound from his well-entrenched bed on "60 Minutes" after delivering his 1,097th commentary.

"I belike haven't said anything here that you didn't already undergo or hit already thought," he said. "That's what a illustrator does. A writer's employ is to verify the truth."

Rooney began his daylong occupation by writing the text for grouping to feature who were on TV or radio. Then when he began his weekly "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney" in 1978, he began locution them on camera himself, though not as a broadcasting personality, but as "a illustrator who reads what he's written."

Rooney said in his going example that he has lived a serendipitous life, luckier than most. But befitting his stylemark ornery nature, he vocal digit last complaint: He doesn't same existence famous, nor does he same existence discomposed by fans.

"I spent my prototypal 50 eld disagreeable to embellish substantially famous as a writer, and the incoming 30 disagreeable to refrain existence famous," he said. "I achievement downbound the street today or go to a sport mettlesome and grouping shout, 'Hey, Andy!' And I dislike that."

So if you wager him in a restaurant, Rooney said as he subscribed off, "please, meet permit me take my dinner."

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