That’s how I found out. I was in complete and utter shock.
I just wanted to say, “God. Enough with the dying already.I know you love these people and you called them home for a reason, but it’s really messing up my world and I don’t get it.”
I know that’s selfish. It’s not just about me and my own sense of loss. A bigger picture will unfold in the days, months and years to come and I will come to terms — again — with the loss of someone that was important to me. Kidd Kraddick’s legacy will live on in thousands of ways, and “we” will celebrate his life once we can come to terms with his death.
As the collective “we” – the loyal fans of Kidd Kraddick in the Morning — struggle to wrap our brains around what’s happened, to envision what the future holds for our morning drive, we also grieve with the family and friends of a man who emulated what we all strive to be: a person of great character, who had achieved success through hard work and attention to detail, was kind to others because he genuinely honestly had a huge heart, and someone who could rightfully say he made a difference in the world. And – his biggest gift of all, he made us laugh.
It is sad without him. I miss Kidd already and it’s only been one show. Instead of starting each day with the usual banter of Hollywood Hizzle or sage advice of Love Letters to Kelly, I am now struck with the reminder that through my radio, Kidd has mentored me to live each day to its fullest, be kind to those in need, and the incredible healing power of laugher.
Everyone I’ve encountered this morning is talking about Kidd, how he touched their lives and how sad they are. No matter what was going on in each of our individual worlds, Kidd united us by making us laugh through it. Whether it was Kidd’s story of his eye surgery and how he blinded himself in his pool (one of my favorites), his fake Kinsey call-ins, getting Big Al to dress up like a turkey only to get tossed from a local diner (I quite literally almost drove off the road during this one), and countless other classics that made me sit in my car long after I arrived at my destination just so I could hear how it ended, we knew that one thing was for certain, each morning Kelly would get mad at something Kidd would say and all of Kidd Nation would chuckle right along.
Mornings will be different. No one knows what will happen to Kidd Kraddick in the Morning or even its role on Dish Nation. Change is hard and we don’t like it. But we as a community can take on Kidd’s missions to pay it forward, to support Kidd’s Kids, and for heaven’s sakes, to properly dip the chip.
Kidd’s motto was, “Keep looking up, cause that’s where it all is!” And I suspect when we do, he’ll be smiling right back down on us.
Rest In Peace Kidd Kraddick, Rest In Peace.
Personally, I’m hoping that a “Best of Kidd” will be available for download on iTunes benefitting Kidd’s Kids. What was your favorite Kidd Kraddick moment that you would want on it? Share it in the comments below.
0 Comments