Why do I care so much that Tim Russert died? I probably only ever saw him on TV for a grand total of 2 or 3 hours, but somehow it just really bothered me. Maybe because he was iconic and it was so sudden. Peter Jennings wasn't the same; the time I saw him on TV amounted to maybe 30 minutes, and it was several years ago, and everyone knew he was dying because he had cancer.
It also makes me realize how lucky (or maybe unlucky) I am in that I've only had 2 close family members die in the scope of my lifetime, and both times weren't sudden. One had leukemia and the other just became more and more frail and died in the hospital from atrophy. My parents both had extremely close calls, and yet they don't change their lifestyle.
I just felt compelled to write this because I was browsing the usual suspects' blogs, so pay no mind.