No stage lights flickered and no music played, yet the mood shifted the moment Dick Van Dyke leaned forward. Nearly 100 years old, he still carried the familiar warmth that makes people feel lighter just by listening.

Moments earlier, he had led a joyful two-hour sing-along in Malibu with his wife, Arlene Silver. The event raised funds for the Van Dyke Endowment of the Arts and the planned Dick Van Dyke Museum.

Van Dyke told the audience the afternoon wasn’t only about celebration or nostalgia. For him, it was about restoring something he believes society is slowly losing: the art of conversation.

He gently described everyday scenes—buses, restaurants, couples at tables—where people sit together but mentally live elsewhere. His words weren’t critical, just observant, delivered with the ease that has defined his career.

Then came the line that caught the room off guard. Calmly, without seeking applause, he shared that he doesn’t own a cell phone. The silence that followed said more than laughter ever could.

The point wasn’t technology itself, but what it has replaced. Van Dyke spoke of casual exchanges, shared moments, and the simple human connection that once filled ordinary days.

The event also celebrated his legacy through music. Nearing his 100th birthday, he sang beloved songs like “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” and the theme from The Dick Van Dyke Show.

As he reflects on a century of life, Van Dyke focuses less on fame and more on impact—joy, decency, and presence. His message felt like a wish: to look up, talk more, and remember how good it feels to truly share a moment.