So, for probably better than half my life, I’ve had to commute to get where I needed to be. When I went to High School, I had to take a bus, followed by an elevated train that became a subway, across Philadelphia, and then walk a ways. Later, at my first (real) job, I had to take an Amtrak regional rail line out to Ivyland, and again, walk. This time it was only a few miles. When I left there, for my next (read: higher paying) job, I was commuting from the Philadelphia/Bucks County border for four hours each way, out to and back from Allentown,PA. I commute two and a half hours now still. In my mind its “The Long Ride In…” and it always has been. And so, I’ve always needed some amount of companionship on my daily journey.

I’ve spent way too much time burning CDs, thats why I got Sirius. Besides, I don’t look at it drearily every day, or with any amount of dread. I love the morning! Actually, its probably the most well executed part of my day. I wake up, and I go through my list of daily preparations: coffee, picking out clothes, showering and brushing my teeth. The usual stuff — I’d hope we all do this before heading out the door. Yet, unlike a lot of people, and especially unlike people I really respect evidently; I am some one who absolutely looks forward to waking up somewhere around 5:45AM and 6:15AM every day. I’m a morning person.

I wake up with a kind of abnormal zeal. And, this is shocking to me, because, I’m not a very upbeat person in general. Today though, the long ride in to work, got a lot, lot longer. And, I feel horrible. Mainly because I’m worried every bit of that “happy part of my day” is about to change. And, that its entirely out of my control. This morning on Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel (Howard) 100, comedian, actor, and someone who for the last six years has been a huge part of creating that “abnormal zeal” — namely Artie Lange — announced that he would be leaving The Howard Stern Show in January of next year.

I can’t tell you how deafening this idea is to all the laughter that usually echoes inside that part of my mind. Listening to Artie and Howard provide their own respective ego massage by distancing themselves from each other, through (entirely entertaining) back-and-forth bickering, wasn’t the fun I thought it would be.

Wherever you go Artie, there you are. I sure hope you figure out what wrong inside yourself, because I think you’re a talent. You’re smart enough to know, no drug, no place or job, nor any other person will help do that, at least not individually. Frankly, no one and no thing without you, has a chance at fixing those types of problems. Commit yourself to taking small steps each day, and lean on the friends and family who understand you enough to not let you repeat the same pattern.

Thats the only message I could think to put together as I sat listening. This message is also, all I can do, to not lose my mind in a sea of feelings of betrayal. I have to understand, its just his job, its just a show, and he has real human issues to work out. I certainly know there will be people who will not be able to hold their tongue, who will ultimately articulate all that negativity I’m also feeling. In reference to that, I hope this doesn’t help make Howard’s decision for him, when it comes to renewing his contract with Sirius — the Show is very funny uncensored. Nor do I hope this will spark a campaign to cancel subscriptions as was the case with the recent Oppie & Anthony suspension.

Arthur Lange (Wikipedia & Artie-Dash-Lange-Dot-Com) is a mentally unhealthy, physically unhealthy, incredibly talented, and intelligent, comedian, who is also a fantastically compelling story-teller and color commentator. He’s made more sense in off-the-cuff comedic remarks than anyone else I can think to list, and he has done so to such a degree (for 4-5 hours a day), that it seems silly to even waste time invoking a list — you stand alone big guy.

Last, I stress more though of all his talent, Artie Lange’s need to get healthy — hopefully, he stresses this same point with his coming time away from show business, otherwise for him, it’ll just be “The Long Ride Out.”

Matt That is a Sirius Satellite Radio shareholder, and a 14 year fan of The Howard Stern Show.