i didn't know dana reeve any better than anyone else who ever met her once or twice - but i can honestly say the few hours i spent with her and her husband had, in its own way, as big an impact on my life as just about any day i spent before or since.
back in - i think - 2003, i was lucky enough to produce an interview with christopher reeve at his home in bedford, new york. he was gracious, friendly, warm and candid and, unlike a lot of people i see at work, wasn't above shooting the shit with the crew - about hockey, movies, and his son - before and after the q & a.
while the cameras rolled, he told us about his recurring dream of being able to sail again and a joke explaining the difference between his life and that of oj simpson (punchline: "oj walked.") and how he didn't know what he would have done without the love of his wife, who at that very moment was just chilling in the kitchen, doing kitcheny things.
i also saw first hand how this man - who simply was not supposed to ever ever ever ever move anything on his body for the rest of his life - taught himself to move his finger on cue after months and months and months of rehab, training and sweat. sure, it was a tiny tiny wiggle more than anything but if you play the tape back, you can probably hear everyone in the room gasp as he does it. it really was one of the sickest things i have ever seen and, in that moment, demonstrated more to me about determination than anything i could ever imagine.
and after the interview, when chris rolled into the kitchen to hang out with his wife, and she stopped what she was doing to rub his head and kiss his forehead, it demonstrated more to me about love than just about anything i had ever seen before.
as we packed things up, we all chatted with dana about what they had coming up and how much work they had been doing and how much time she had spent with chris at rehab. her optimism and devotion was staggering.
to a man, we all left changed for the better. if not obviously in a look-how-different-i-am-and-you-should-stop-and-smell-the-roses way, then definitely in our hearts.
on the day christopher reeve died last year, i looked back on my afternoon in his home and tried to make a note not to act like a pussy if my poor wittle head hurt or i was tired from waking up too early or if i was waylaid by any sort of minor, ticky-tack bullshit. i mean, granted, we're all prone to moments of self-pity, and i'm still plenty guilty of indulging myself, but if i'm thinking clearly (which unfortunately is less often than not), i remember what this guy was able to do, and i kind of sober up quickly.
----
a few months later, when dana announced that she had lung cancer, it was like a kick in the stomach. when i heard the news this morning, all i could do was shake my head.
and as i go to bed tonight, i'm still shaking it.
back in - i think - 2003, i was lucky enough to produce an interview with christopher reeve at his home in bedford, new york. he was gracious, friendly, warm and candid and, unlike a lot of people i see at work, wasn't above shooting the shit with the crew - about hockey, movies, and his son - before and after the q & a.
while the cameras rolled, he told us about his recurring dream of being able to sail again and a joke explaining the difference between his life and that of oj simpson (punchline: "oj walked.") and how he didn't know what he would have done without the love of his wife, who at that very moment was just chilling in the kitchen, doing kitcheny things.
i also saw first hand how this man - who simply was not supposed to ever ever ever ever move anything on his body for the rest of his life - taught himself to move his finger on cue after months and months and months of rehab, training and sweat. sure, it was a tiny tiny wiggle more than anything but if you play the tape back, you can probably hear everyone in the room gasp as he does it. it really was one of the sickest things i have ever seen and, in that moment, demonstrated more to me about determination than anything i could ever imagine.
and after the interview, when chris rolled into the kitchen to hang out with his wife, and she stopped what she was doing to rub his head and kiss his forehead, it demonstrated more to me about love than just about anything i had ever seen before.
as we packed things up, we all chatted with dana about what they had coming up and how much work they had been doing and how much time she had spent with chris at rehab. her optimism and devotion was staggering.
to a man, we all left changed for the better. if not obviously in a look-how-different-i-am-and-you-should-stop-and-smell-the-roses way, then definitely in our hearts.
on the day christopher reeve died last year, i looked back on my afternoon in his home and tried to make a note not to act like a pussy if my poor wittle head hurt or i was tired from waking up too early or if i was waylaid by any sort of minor, ticky-tack bullshit. i mean, granted, we're all prone to moments of self-pity, and i'm still plenty guilty of indulging myself, but if i'm thinking clearly (which unfortunately is less often than not), i remember what this guy was able to do, and i kind of sober up quickly.
----
a few months later, when dana announced that she had lung cancer, it was like a kick in the stomach. when i heard the news this morning, all i could do was shake my head.
and as i go to bed tonight, i'm still shaking it.
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