For anyone my age, Tim Russert's death hits like a double whammy: there is the sadness of the loss of a well-known and well-liked person that had family and many many friends, and there's also the realization that Russert wasn't really much older than us, and it brings the value of "time left" to the forefront of thinking.
Tim Russert's life has been, and will be, discussed considerably in the next few days. I'm wondering, however, how much the story of his death will be covered. For millions of people, this newsworthy and dominant story of the symptomless result of coronary artery disease could lead to their personal efforts to reduce their risk. It's a story that deserves the bright lights of national news coverage attention, and the tragic Russert death could actually help to improve the health of a nation if approached properly by news organizations.
Which reminds me...it's Wednesday.