The Joy of Jeopardy

We all have our COVID shows – those highly entertaining escapes that have helped us to weather the last 10 months, providing us joy, release and relaxation.   The one I have come to enjoy the most, and am absolutely obsessed with, is Jeopardy.   I used to watch it once in a while to kick back.  Now, it’s part of my evening routine.   In Jeopardy, I get to watch quirky and exceptionally curious individuals of all backgrounds good-naturedly compete with each other for a lot of money.   And when I say quirky?  One guy decided he would deliver his commencement speech in Latin.  Another contestant said she was chased by a hippo in South Africa. Then, there was the New York bartender who won $411,000 over 7 nights and claimed that he was not a genius, and didn’t own a tv, but watched hundreds of episodes of Jeopardy to increase his odds.  The contestants come from all walks of life, all soci-economic levels, all parts of the country.   It’s fascinating to witness the amicable competition which occurs amongst these drastically different contestants.  The level of intellectual brilliance is extraordinary.  However, the quality that each of these participants all have in common is curiosity…curiosity about history, music, geography, culture, art, science and more. 

I really enjoy identifying those categories that I know nothing about, and then exploring them.   I’ve always done better in the arts/dance/music categories but didn’t realize my dearth of knowledge about opera until I answered not one question correctly in this category. I now have a book about opera on my bedstand which I am looking forward to perusing this winter.

Another compelling storyline on Jeopardy has been the journey of Alex Trebek, the host for the last 37 years, who was diagnosed in summer 2019 with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer.   Instead of taking an early leave and enjoying what remained of his life, Alex decided to continue doing what he loved for the last few decades, which was hosting Jeopardy.  In a recent interview, Alex talked about his cancer journey, and how fortunate he was to have lived a long and fulfilling life.  He had no regrets, and felt no fear of death.  He accepted his fate with grace and positivity, and expressed gratitude to his fans, colleagues and family who all helped to make his wonderful life possible.

This next week will be a poignant one for fellow Jeopardy fans.  Alex, just as the old saying goes, literally “died with his boots on” less than two weeks after he left Jeopardy on October 29th. They have decided to play Alex’ last episode the week of January 4th.   Although we all could be sad as we experience the loss of a dear friend, what I think Alex would wish for is that we feel joy that we were able to share his incredible legacy of learning and curiosity that will hopefully continue on for decades to come. 

Have a wonderful journey, Alex!