Channel 4 news and Sara Lee Cake
Every night, our family watched the channel 4 news at 10PM. It was the first time all day we were all together. By then, homework was finished, baths had been taken, and most importantly, my dad was home from work. Dan Miller, Demetria Kalodimos, Rudy Kalis, and Bill Hall told us what was going on in Nashville and in the world. My mom or one of my sisters had dad's supper ready when he got home. About 10 PM, mom would place a frozen Sara Lee cake in the oven for dessert. It warmed up as we watched the news. Our home was filled with the sounds and sights of Channel 4, and the smell and anticipation of a being in a donut shop. If you have never had a Sara Lee cake, its like a huge cinnamon roll, with the icing already on top.
All through my childhood and teens, this time of the day was special. My parents trusted Dan, Demetria, Bill, and Rudy. Whether it was good news or bad, the stories were interesting. One thing I recall is them laughing a lot, and enjoying their work. The idea that someone could smile and interact with their co-workers in a friendly way was on display every night. After the news, if mom wasn't paying attention to the time, or had already gone to bed, we stayed up to watch MASH, or the first part of Johnny Carson. This was our nightly habit as long as we got up the next morning without a fuss, and caught the bus to school.
Secondly, Thank you Dan Miller for blogging before it was cool.
https://danmiller.typepad.com/dan_millers_notebook/
I have read and re-read every post. Dan's writings are many dimensional: candid, personal, researched, observational. There are over 200 entries. The vulnerability and honesty reminds me why we liked him on Channel 4 so much. Not long after I found his blogs, he was gone. A life well lived, but cut way too short. Dan left a young daughter, and grown children. I'm sure they think about him every day. I'm outside the Miller family circle, but many folks like me think about Dan Miller often. I still read and re-read the blog entries. In 2010, I started a blog of my own. I credit Dan's interesting stories for my willingness to try to do the same.
You are not forgotten, Dan Miller. You are still inspiring people. Thank You.
