The Answer is...Bawling My Eyes Out at Work

Like a good many Americans, I grew up watching Jeopardy! - at 7:00 PM, which is when Jeopardy! should be on. The truest liminal spaces are in hotel rooms where Jeopardy! comes on at 7:30 PM.

The second most important thing about Jeopardy!, after the time it comes on, is of course, the host, Alex Trebek. He prefers to be referred to as "the host" of Jeopardy! and never "the star." Did you know that? I had never thought of it much before. I had never thought much about the mustachioed man behind that podium at all, other than wishing there was an episode of Jeopardy! where HE got to play as a contestant. I knew that I liked him, and that he was great at hosting a great show.

When I found out about his cancer diagnosis, I burst into tears. Loud, painful, body-shaking tears, sobs that racked my entire body, the sort of crying were you can't breathe. It, sadly, was the first time I realized what the comforting, warm presence of Uncle Alex meant to me. My parents (hi, mom!) and I would DVR Jeopardy! and watch the previous night's episode over dinner the next day. Alex Trebek was as much a part of my upbringing as anyone else, I truly believe. So when I heard about the memoir, I bought it immediately - and I was not disappointed.

Alex Trebek swears. He acted out in school. His favorite animal is the musk ox. He is as human as human can be. Any conception you have of him as a caring, hopeful man with a kind word to say is true. His stories of growing up in a hotel kitchen, of his many different school, of life in Canada and the US, his activist work, and his marriages and children...they are all real, and human, and meaningful. This book is joyous - joyous enough that, even when it remained joyous in discussion of death, I cried little while reading it. If you are looking for sap, look elsewhere. If you want a joyful yet honest look at life and what comes after, you are in the right place.

But more - much more - than this book made me cry, it made me laugh. I usually can't stand mushy reviews that say that sort of thing, but it's true. Alex Trebek is a funny, funny man. He explains the world as he sees it in such a way that you can't help but laugh. I hope he'll keep up laughing for as long as he can. Thank you, Uncle Alex, for this book, and for everything you've done. You're one of the greats. 10/5 pickles - those big ones.