I try to watch “Jeopardy” every night, even though it sometimes makes me wonder why there aren’t scabs on the backs of my fingers since they’re always dragging the ground.
I miss the show some nights, of course, but last week I made sure to watch without fail. I wanted to see Cindy Stowell who, despite suffering from Stage 4 colon cancer, managed to be the champion for six nights, earning (you don’t win on “Jeopardy,” you earn) more than $103,000.
Shawn RyanShe donated most of it to cancer research and, even before she auditioned, told show producers that was her intention. But once she was on camera, her diagnosis wasn’t announced to the audience.
She died Dec. 5 at age 41, eight days before the airing of her first appearance on “Jeopardy.” But in a very nice touch, show officials sent her advance copies of three of her appearances so she could watch them in the hospital.
Host Alex Trebek described Stowell’s time on the show as “a fulfillment of a lifelong ambition” for her. Not exactly operatic praise but pretty good from Trebek, who virtually slaps the lips off some contestants who get an answer wrong.
Full disclosure: I take the “Jeopardy” online test every year and was picked to audition last year in Atlanta. I didn’t make the cut but figured they were afraid of my fierce intellect and worried that I’d bankrupt the show. Either that or they just figuratively patted me on the head and thought, “Please don’t embarrass yourself anymore. Lawn darts may be more up your alley.”
But if I don’t get on “Jeopardy,” I’ll lose my desperate attempt to bolster (create?) my now nonexistent retirement funds.
However, watching Stowell made me realize that getting on the show and earning money could have more altruistic, less egocentric goals than just taking home a wad of cash. Over the course of the games, you could see her getting more tired, exhaustion seaming her face. But she hung in there. She was smart; she was steady; and she knew how to bet in Final Jeopardy, a key to winning that most folks don’t think about.
While naturally mourning her death, her loved ones should be proud of what she accomplished. For me, she made me feel that I’ve been a bit too self-absorbed, too focused on self-aggrandizement and greenbacks. If I’m ever lucky enough to land on “Jeopardy” (a long shot, I know), I hope to remember that feeling.
Contact Shawn Ryan at sryan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327.