I’ve never been mad at Dan Reimold. He’s never been anything but a courteous, gracious and professional friend to me. But he made me really angry Thursday night.
I’d had a bad day. You know how life is; you have days when it seems like nothing goes right.
I’d just gotten home from my son’s football scrimmage and a late dinner, and I was ready to go to bed and put the crappy day behind me. I opened Twitter and found DMs from recent journalism graduates who Dan and I met at conferences. They wanted to know what I’d heard and if the rumors were true. They wanted me to tell them Dan wasn’t dead.
Dan Reimold, dead? That can’t be possible.
I googled his name and keywords that I don’t even want to mention, but I came up with nothing unusual.
Then I remembered Tuesday. Dan and I were scheduled to join other advisers, including Jake Batsell and David Simpson, as guests on #EdShift chat. Dan never showed up. I questioned where he was during the chat, making a joke about him being “stuck in traffic.”
If you know Dan, you know there seemed to be no limit to the things he participated in. Aside from teaching at Saint Joseph’s University, advising The Hawk staff, writing College Media Matters, penning columns for USA Today College and The Huffington Post, and publishing books, Dan also spoke at seemingly every conference I had heard of and some I hadn’t. But I had never known Dan not to fulfill an obligation.
That’s when I noticed that he hadn’t tweeted anything since he promoted the chat Monday.
I contacted adviser friends who I thought would know something, but they didn’t know much more than what I heard. I usually consider them credible sources, but they didn’t even feel credible.
That’s when I got really mad.
I became convinced that Dan had concocted some kind of warped training exercise where he was trying to teach students who hear rumors of a death how to gather information when it seems like there’s none available.
That’s not even funny, Dan,” I thought. “It might be creative, but people think you’re serious. We’re actually wondering if you’re dead.”
I even told a few adviser friends that I was going to “punch him right in the throat” if I found out this was some kind of journalism exercise.
I guess I processed denial and anger together.
I took a sleeping pill, which I never do because I’m afraid I’ll oversleep the next day. I knew there was no way I would sleep otherwise. I needed to sleep because things would be clearer in the morning. They were, but not in the way I wanted.
It’s not a training exercise. It’s not a warped joke. Dan died. And for one of the few times in my life, I feel a profound sense of loss that leaves me without appropriate words.
No tribute is good enough for my fellow Singapore traveler and blogger.
For a guy I figured would think I was honing in on his blogging niche who instead repeatedly supported me, promoted my work and praised the job I was doing.
For the face in the crowd who hunted me down after my conference session to gush about how wonderful it was.
For the chatter who annoyed me by probing deeper into my simple answers and forcing me to explain myself.
For the writer who not-so-subtlely suggested we write a book together that now will never see a first draft.
For the adviser who made his life’s work not just helping his own students, but my students… all of our students.
We are sad. We miss him.
I’m still mad.
Because 34 is too young, and sometimes the bad guys live and the good guys don’t.
sereneluo says
profkrg Thank you for honouring Dan.
profkrg says
sereneluo no thanks necessary. Take care of you.
achterman says
Thank you – I didn’t know Dan, but certainly knew his work. A lovely tribute.
ZachReimold says
Thank you for your kind words. Please continue in your passion so that Dan’s passion continues to live on in your work. #collegemediamatters
jourNAYlism says
profkrg thank you for that tribute. Our DJNF 2004 group from Temple is remembering him from his early career.
patricksplace says
So sorry to hear about Dan. You’re right: 34 is entirely too young.
viptownsend says
CBechervaise profkrg http://twitter.com/viptownsend/status/640104512695304192/photo/1