Earlier today I had to share the sad news that Don Rickles passed away at the age of 90. However, I’d like to talk about what was going on in my mind at the time. I didn’t stop to reflect on his life as a comedian or actor. I didn’t stop to think about those close to him who are missing him dearly. I didn’t stop to think about his family and what they must be going through at this moment. You know what I thought about? “Don Rickles just died and I better get this article out as quickly as possible so that I look like a legitimate news source and don’t fall behind everyone else.”
The sane and rational side of me knows that this comes with the job. I’m supposed to be breaking this news to all of you and I’m supposed to be doing it as quickly as possible because when news breaks, that your job: to break it as it happens as quickly as you can as long as the information is accurate. But still, I can’t help but to feel like total garbage because of my robotic response. It’s like those times in your life when you’re too busy to feel. You can’t stop to reflect on anything, you just have to “do.” That’s what reporting death is like on a website. You’re just “doing” and you’re not feeling anything.
My promise to you and myself is that when a death as significant as this occurs in the future, I’ll still be as quick as I can with the reporting of the news, but at the same time I’m going to try and have follow up pieces that will honor those who have died. So to Don Rickles’ family and friends, I apologize for my “automatic” actions as a journalist but forgive me for it’s my job. But I promise to do something worthy of Don Rickles’ respect in the near future.
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