Regards to Tim Wilson

On February 27th, I was listening to The Bob and Tom Show on my computer as I was getting ready for work.  Many a morning, their show has kept me in stitches and made me look forward to Mondays.   Not only are the hosts hilarious, this program also showcases many funny comedians. I had tuned into the middle of the show, and had missed the beginning. I heard them interviewing comedian Nick Griffin, who was speaking about Tim Wilson, another comedian who was a frequent guest of their show.

I remembered the first time I had heard Tim Wilson on their show. It was a few years ago, and I was changing channels on the radio on my way to work in the morning. I remembered my husband recommending the Bob and Tom Show, so I punched the scan radio button to their channel.  I had tuned into the middle of an interview. I heard a distinctive southern drawl coming through the speakers. This man, who I later learned was Tim Wilson, was speaking about a book he had written about Ted Bundy.   I was intrigued—he was introduced as a comedian, (a guitar playing comedian to boot) yet had written a well researched book about this notorious serial killer? Tim Wilson’s name stuck in my mind and found his comic routines very funny, like “Uncle BS”.    Granted, his humor leaned towards the non-kid friendly side, but since I was alone in my commute, my young son at the time wasn't present to hear.

Present day, as I listened to their broadcast, I couldn't help but notice that they were all referring to Tim Wilson in the past tense.  I thought this was odd, so I started to listen more closely.  Tom announced with great sadness that Tim Wilson had passed away the night before. I immediately felt empathy for the family that he had left behind.

This news was very sad to me, not only because this talented man wasn't around anymore to make us laugh, but how untimely his death was.  Years ago, when I would hear that someone died at the age of 52, I chalked it up to they were old and their time had come. Now, with each birthday drawing me closer to that age neighborhood, 52 is very young to me! This is a reminder that we’re on this Earth for a finite amount of time and to make the most of it in positive ways.

Tim Wilson struck me as a man who didn't bow to being conventional—he didn't let the fact that he was an established comedian hold him back from pursuing other non-comedic interests. I will let his memory serve as another reminder to me that it’s okay to stretch out of the expected.