More than a game show and a dinner guest

Like Madonna, Beyonce, Prince, Einstein — all you had to do was mention her name and the banter began. 

 

“OMG, did you see her last night?” 

 

“She is just brilliant.” 

 

“Why did she wager so high on the Final Jeopardy answer?” 

 

“I love her smile.” 

 

“Love her pearls.”

 

During a time where we weren’t sure whether to go out, eat in restaurants and be around other people; when it was getting dark early, cold outside; one thing we could count on was for a few months we could turn on our TVs at 7:30 p.m. on weeknights and root for Amy.

If, perchance, we weren’t home, we recorded “Jeopardy” and watched as soon as we got back, no matter how late it was.

 

And, added bonus, my husband and I both enjoyed watching her together — not a common TV happening in our house. When I asked him what he liked about her, he said, “She has a great presence and is extremely smart. I like smart women.” 

 

Hmm, who knew?

 

As for me — I just liked her. Period. A person comfortable with her intelligence and her true self.

 

Her run on "Jeopardy" reminded me of the movie “Seabiscuit.” She was a real person and appealed to real people. She wasn’t haughty, kept her personal life simple (you know that part where they make each contestant tell those goofy stories about themselves — the time where you usually run to get a snack, let the dog out or go to the bathroom). She was genial when host Ken Jennings (74-time "Jeopardy" winner) made a snarky comment or every single night found a way to mention his accomplishment, referring to himself as “yours truly.” She just offered that smile and efficiently got down to business, just tackling that game board.  

 

If I am ever on "Jeopardy" — hahahahahahaha — one of my little anecdotes about myself is going to be that I lived in Dayton, Ohio, for over 40 years (my husband was born and raised there), where Amy was born and raised. My kids played against her high school in tennis. She went to the University of Dayton where I took courses. Maybe I passed her or her mom in the grocery store, who knows?

 

When she finally lost, I was devastated. Apparently so was almost everyone I know. Facebook and Instagram were slammed.  

 

Dinner the next night was lonely. We both missed our favorite guest. And, being off our usual game, my husband forgot to guard his plate and our dog ate his chicken. Sometimes, you just can’t win.