Wake Up Tim, Wake Up

Tim Russert 1950-2008

*deep inhale and exhale*

I'm a bit in shock. I received the news after returning home from running some quick errands. The computer was on and I logged onto my email and a blog site. It was part of the headline in someone's blog.

Tim Russert 1950 - 2008.

I didn't want to believe it. I informed my parents and we quickly to turned to MSNBC, where we usually stay tuned in for all of the political hub blub.

There it was. Confirmed. Brian Williams. David Gregory. Andrea Mitchell. The whole gang was on paying their respects with thoughtful remarks on their colleague. 

To the ordinary person, his passing may not mean much; just another sad case of a sudden death by heart attack. However, I can't be the ordinary person, especially since I spent many a Sunday mornings getting my fill of "Meet The Press" and since the hype of the Presidential Primaries I've been glued to MSNBC. Being in the journalism realm (partially) I do stay in tuned to who is who and who I do admire and respect in the business. There are a handful of people I do admire in this business, and thankfully I've had the opportunity to meet some of them. Tim Russert was one I've admired. I have an even greater admiration now in light of what has been said about him more on the personal side. Especially in regards to kids and his father.

His death is also a reminder of how things could have been for my mother. It wasn't until her mild stroke, that she learned because of her stress level at work and continuous fatigue, she may or could have suffered a heart attack and gone without any notice.  I can't help but wonder if Russert's stress level killed him. He was on air almost every night. He was the Washington Bureau Chief, doing what he loved. Still it had to be stressful. The Presidential Primaries were just too much. Was it really worth it?  I feel like how my mother feels; I want to wake him up and tell him that he should have gotten checked out earlier - anything to save his life.  

Then again, that might be selfish. Maybe it was his time.

No ifs, ands or buts about it.

Nevertheless, he will certainly be missed.