Day 63

Today is day 63. My dad would be 63 years old if he were still with us. So this entry is about something we both shared and loved. My alarm was set this morning for 4:58am. Why you ask? Today is the last day on terrestrial radio for the King of all Media, Howard Stern. The show is about halfway over as I am typing this. Howard is holding a big rally outside of his studio and the crowd is crazy. The whole crew is going to be addressing the crowd in an hour or so. In the last segment he had his whole family in the studio, including his three daughters who have never been on the air. His parents are there. It seems like everyone ever associated with the show in any capacity over the last 20 years is there. All I can think about is that my dad is missing this whole thing. Nobody, and I mean nobody, would be enjoying this more than he would be. Artie started to talk about how this is such a moving experience for him because unlike the rest of the crew, he was grew up listening to Howard with his father every single day and started as a fan before becoming a regular member of the show. I know this may sound ridiculous to most people, especially non-Howard fans, but I can relate to what Artie was saying. My dad first turned me on to Howard when he first came to Cleveland in 1993. I listened every single morning with my father in the kitchen before school and in my car on the way to school. I have been a loyal fan ever since, but nobody was a more loyal fan of Howard's than Bobby D.

This is the constant misconception about Stern fans - they are a bunch of misfits and trash. My father certainly is as class of an act as there was and he was Howard's biggest fan. Did he sometimes take it too far? Sure. But I respect a guy who would only schedule meeting post 10 am so he wouldn't miss any of the show. When Howard came to Cleveland to do a mock funeral of the local morning man John Lannigan, Dad was down in the flats where the show took place, getting a prime position at 5am to see him live. Over the years, we have had probably thousands of conversations about the show. My mother's running joke that in any conversation, whether it be politics, food, entertainment, whatever - her reply was "it all come back to Howard."

Again, nobody would be loving this show today more than he would. How is it that I can get sad listening to this? It is what it is. Howard is just one of the many things that remind me of my dad every single day. I miss him beyond what words in a blog can say. They say time heals all wounds, and while I do agree that as time goes by, it gets a tad easier, it never gets goes away entirely.

Song of the Day: "The End" by The Doors