Friday, June 13, 2008

Tim Russert died today at 58 years old

While siting here answering emails and replying to blog comments with the TV on, ABC broke in with a special report - Charles Gibson announced that Tim Russert, host of "Meet the Press," had just died - at work. He was 58 years old. Maybe because I'm 52, maybe because, after the death of my mother, I've come to understand the absolute fragility of this existence we call life - I get that Tim Russert, in his own truth and reality, "danced like nobody was watching," a credo to which I vigorously and wholeheartedly subscribe. I want, and intend, to go out doing exactly what it is I love - whatever that is at the time. Tim Russert's death, doing what he loved best - is something to which I aspire. No matter what you thought of him, one must respect his rabid dedication to what he thought was the right thing to do - for him.

2 comments:

The First Domino דומינו said...

Tim Russert, in his own truth and reality, "danced like nobody was watching," a credo to which I vigorously and wholeheartedly subscribe.

Would that we all danced without the attendant self-consciousness that mar our moments of "being real" and authentic.

Rather than being content with our own self-evaluation, we instead project a stance, position, attitude, behavior that we believe will be acceptable to our peers.

God forbid that they disagree with us, or see us as less than our exalted (or oftentime not so exalted) view of ourselves.

If you can dance alone
With the world looking on;
Kick up your heels in ways
Reserved for kids,
And the young at heart;
Letting others flip their lids,
without you falling apart,
Although fear betrays
A firmness of mind;
Then your dance will rise
To the level of one of a kind:
A proud dance without the lies.


I knew of Russert, but hardly watched his Meet the Press news show.

His sudden death shocked his collegues. I didn't hear that he had any known health or heart issues.

Most of the cable channels devoted a large chunk of their news day to his passing.

I wish him well in his next grand adventure.

DebC said...

the first domino...great poem!

I rarely watched him on "Meet the Press" myself, but my "snowbird" friend in NYC however, is a FANATIC!! We inevitably discussed his shows whenever we talked about government/politics on the phone or when she's wintering here.

I've seen him on some other things and what I particularly liked about him was his unabashed love and respect for his father (about whom he talked often) and the values/lessons learned that he passed onto his own son.

He was proud of his humble beginnings in a way many in the limelight seem to prefer to forget.

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