Alex Trebek had a minor heart attack.  Thank goodness they said “minor,” cuz I might have been broken down otherwise.
We’re all defined, to an extent, by irrelevant things about ourselves.  It’s not a big deal in the grand scheme, but Michael Jordan is known for being a boss basketball player.  Doesn’t matter what he does for starving African children.  Bono can write songs like “One.”  That’s what’s crucial.
Me?  I am a bit of an endless repository for useless trivia.  I’m not the boss I used to be about sports, but my brother was stunned over Thanksgiving that he couldn’t randomly throw out the number of a Packers defensive tackle and I didn’t know the dude’s name.  Said that had never happened before.
On other stuff, I just know things that, quite honestly, are holding up space for more important stuff, some of which is the rack of stuff my fiancee swears she told me of which I have no recollection.  I know so much of that stuff that I’m in a Hall of Fame for it.  Seriously, check it out (scroll to the bottom).
Much of that is because of Alex Trebek.  See, I went to school 25 miles from where I lived.  There wasn’t any going home after school.  There was riding the school bus, getting off at the barber shop, sweeping the floor to get enough dough for a snack and, eventually, going to my mother’s office.
That normally happened after Jeopardy! went off.
Usually didn’t get to the barber shop until after the start of Double Jeopardy, but you’d be amazed how much minutaie you can pick up just watching Jeopardy!  It hasn’t been good for but so much, but people have stood over my shoulder at bars while I play the trivia games by myself.  It’s a pretty cool parlor trick, I must say.  Better than being the dude that threw up and entire shot of Jager through his nose, lemme tell ya.
Losing Alex Trebek would be like losing a mentor, really.  Part of the draw for Trebek is that he’s actually pretty cool.  I don’t think Alex Trebek has much trouble with the sexy young ladies…and he conveys this while rattling off the nerdiest stuff there is!  That’s pimpin’.  His game is premium like octane.
Not a bad dude for a kid to watch every day after school, I have to say.
So keep on truckin’, Alex.  Things wouldn’t be the same without you.