Jeopardy! And What Are Things That Are Different Are Not The Same

Whatever the result of the interminable Jeopardy! replacement saga, it just won’t be the same, no matter how hard I try to pretend otherwise.

Jeopardy! set in 2020. Photo by Khue Tran

For the two hundred-odd years our family has inhabited our beloved Up Yonder in West Virginia, some traditions have endured while others only have a season. The main get together times of Fourth of July and Christmas are pretty much set in stone, other than natural disaster, rapture, or modification for Covid-19. Others, like massive tarps and tailgating on top of the mountain gave way to the permanent facilities of the built, then expanded picnic shelter and camping facilities. Some, like repelling across the pond, only happened once, initially because of Aunt Nora’s loss of a brand-new red shoe of which we still haven’t heard the end, and then because the expanding four lane below meant it had to be drained and removed.

Then there were other traditions borne of habit. No matter what else was going on, no matter the conversation going, or meal being eaten, or who was there to enjoy it with, right around 7:15pm Aunt June was going to stand up, pull out a cigarette, and start walking and/or in later years riding her Kawasaki MULE to her house which was right beside ours. You…