Reminiscing

The past week has really affected me.  And I feel a little weird for feeling this way about someone that I've never met.  But this man has meant a great deal to me over the years, and I feel like I need to write down how I'm feeling for myself and maybe others who have felt similarly in the last week.

When I heard about Kidd Kraddick's passing, I instantly felt sick.  My legs got completely weak and my heart felt heavy.  I urgently searched the internet hoping that it was a horrible hoax.  I still do, to be honest.

I've had some time over the past week to reminise about him and the big part that he has played in my life.

I started listening too Kidd in 1991 when I moved to Plano.  I moved away from my entire family and all of my friends.  I started middle school in the middle of my 6th grade year.  What a terrible, horrible time to start a new school.  Right smack dab in the middle of the most awkward time in your life, not knowing a soul and not having the confidence to start my first day with a group of new friends.

Every morning I listened to Kidd while I was getting ready and in the car driving to school.  I hated when I had to shut off my radio to go eat breakfast.  Kidd and his then co-host Jocelyn were hilarious and they honestly took my mind off of my nerves about going to school.  Everyday I listened until I went off to college. 

The first thing I did the first morning after coming home from KU during school breaks was turn on the radio.  Listening to Kidd felt like home!  I loved the familiarity of his voice.  He still made me laugh and I loved feeling like I was a part of his inside jokes.

In 2001, I got into the Occupational Therapy program at the KU Med Center in Kansas City.  I drove 4 days a week from Lawrence to Kansas City (about a 45 minute drive).  One morning I was switching stations and the sound of a familiar voice stopped me from switching stations again.  I was so confused at first and almost couldn't match the voice with the place. Kidd's show had been syndicated in Topeka and I was able to pick up the signal for most of my drive to KUMC.  I remember the joy I felt! 

I listened to Kidd through the good times and the bad.  I listened to him after fights with my parents, friends and breakups.  He got me through some tough mornings!  I listened to him to find comfort after 9/11.  He always had the ability to say what I needed to hear.  I listened to him as he spoke with honesty about his own life, as well.

After 9/11 I became homesick.  I was supposed to stay at KUMC 2 more years to finish OT school, but I didn't want to be away from my family and Nic any longer.  I moved back in 2002 and listened to him regularly until about 5 years ago.  I even had Nic listening which is hard to do when there is sports talk radio on! I cherished commutes so that I could listen longer, and sometimes it was hard to turn the radio off to go into work.  After Kaden was born I wasn't able to listen as regularly but I feel like I appreciated the times that I was able to listen. 

Like I said earlier, it does feel weird to have these emotions about a guy on the radio.  It has helped to read what people have been writing on social media sites about Kidd.  I definitely am not alone in feeling like a friend was lost last week.  It has been nice to hear all the stories about Kidd and knowing that a person that I looked up to affected so many people in such a positive way.  He will be missed.  Truly missed.

 

Keep lookin' up, 'cause that's where it all is