ALTHOUGH
ALTHOUGH DAN IS TOO MODEST TO SAY IT, WHEN IT CAME TO TELEVISION NEWS, HE WAS A
NATURAL.
SEEING I KNEW THAT I LOVED TV
NEWS.4@
THAT WAS MY FIRST BIG BREAK.4@
CALL ME OLD-FASHIONED, WHAT
WOULD CHRISTMAS BE WITHOUT SNOW
OR/OR WHATEVER IT IS 4@THAT WE
GET?
>> Reporter: WHAT COMES TO MIND?
>>4@ LEARNING HOW TO DO THIS JO
HAVING THESE AMAZING ROLE MODEL@
.4@ ANOTHER THING I REMEMBER
ABOUT 4@MAINE IS THE REAL
CONNECTION IS BETWEEN4@ PEOPLE
AIR AND THE TV AUDIENCE.4@4@
>> Reporter: EVEN WHEN YOU'RE 4@
IN MAINE, YOU KNEW YOU HAD A
LOT OF DRIVE4@, AND THEN AT THE
AGE OF 29, WENT TO WORK FOR ABC
NEWS?
>> 28.
IT LOOKS LIKE I WAS JUST4@
FINISHED MY BAR MITZVAH. 4@
I WAS BARELY POSTPUBESCENT.4@
WHEN I GOT TO ABC, 4@I WAS GREE
I FELT VERY GREEN.4@4@
I WAS PRETTY INSECURE 4@ABOUT I
>> Reporter: YOU WORKED LIKE
CRAZY.4@
>> WORKED LIKE CRAZY.4@
I RAISED MY HEAD, AND, AND SAID
CRAZY.4@ >> WORKED LIKE CRAZY.4@ I RAISED MY HEAD, AND, AND SAID@
I'LL GO.
I WAS IN IRAQ SIX OR 4@SEVEN
TIMES.
IT REALLY CHANGE MY LIFE.
>> Reporter: FOR A FEW YEARS
THOUGH,4@ YOU SPENT A LOT OF TI
COVERING WARS WITH ALL OF THE
MISERY, AND A HORROR, AND ALL 4@
OF THE UGLINESS THAT COMES WITH
THAT.
ONE OF THE TERMS THAT USES THAT
COVERING WARS IS A PURE, SICK
RUSH.4@
>> PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT AND
IT IS NOT THAT TALKED ABOUT
THAT OFTEN, BUT 4@AS HORRIBLE A
IT IS TO COVER WARS AND I THINK
A TRAUMATIC, I THINK IT IS ALSO
ADRENALINE FILLED AND EXCITING.
IT CAN 4@BE ADDICTIVE.
>> Reporter: WHEN YOU CAME HOME
AFTER I THINK IT WAS FIVE
MONTHS IN IRAQ4@, YOU SUFFERED4
LETDOWN THAT WAS SERIOUS ENOUGH
THAT YOU FELT LOUSY4@4@, YOU WE
TO A PSYCHIATRIST.
WHAT DID THE PSYCHIATRIST SAY
YOU HAD?
>>4@ I FELT DEPRESSED.
HE SAID WHEN 4@YOU ARE UNAWARE
YOUR OWN EMOTIONS, YOUR BODY
WILL MANIFEST THEM4@ AND I
THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND 4@OF
HUMBLING BECAUSE I THOUGHT I
WAS 4@REASONABLY SELF-AWARE.
>> Reporter: YOU DID SOMETHING
ON IMPULSE.
>> FOUR-MONTH, I FELT LIKE 4@I
HAD A LOW GRADE FEVER AND I WAS
HAVING TROUBLE GETTING OUT OF
BED.
A FRIEND OF MINE OFFERED ME
SOME COCAINE AND I WAS 32 YEARS
OLD, I HADN'T NEVER DONE DRUGS
BEFORE4@. THAT WAS THE START OF
SERIES OF BAD DECISIONS.
>> Reporter: HOW LONG DID YOU
USE COCAINE?
>> I WOULD SAY A YEAR AND 4@A
HALF.4@
STILL, THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY
WAS WORK. 4@
IT WAS STUPID NONETHELESS.
>> Reporter: ALSO, AROUND THAT
TIME, YOU TRIED ECSTASY.4@
YOU KNEW YOU WERE HIGH WHEN 4@Y
WALKED BY A PIANO BALL 4@IN NEW
ORLEANS AND WHAT HAPPENED?
>> I HEARD THEM PLAYING 4@JOHN
BON JOVI'S "SLIPPERY WHEN WET".
THAT'S WHEN I KNEW I WAS NOT IN
MY RIGHT MIND.
>> Reporter:4@ WHEN YOU WERE
DOING DRUGS AND DOING YOUR
NORMAL JOB, YOU WERE READING
THE NEWS ON 4@GOOD MORNING
AMERICA.
WHAT HAPPENED?
>> I HAD A PANIC ATTACK. 4@
MY LUNGS'S CEASED UP.4@
MY HEART RACED.
>>4@4@ IT IS TOO EARLY TO PRESC
STATINS4@.4@ THAT DOES IT FOR N
WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK 4@NOW T
ROGER AND CHARLIE.4@4@
>> Reporter: A FEW MINUTES
AFTERWARDS, WHAT WAS GOING
THROUGH YOUR HEAD?
WHAT WE4@RE YOU THINKING JUST 4@
HAPPEN TO YOU?
>> I JUST HAD A PANIC ATTACK.
PEOPLE ARE 4@ASKING ME, ARE 4@Y
OKAY?4@
I THINK IT ALL JUST FADED AWAY,
BUT WHAT I KNEW 4@HAD HAPPENED,
AND I WAS JUST FREAKED OUT.
>> Reporter:4@ YOU ENDED UP
STOPPING USING COCAINE BECAUSE
TH4@E DOCTOR REALIZING 4@THAT T
COCAINE HAD IN PART LED TO TH4@
PANIC 4@ATTA4@CK SAID, THIS WAS
A GOOD IDEA.4@
>> IT RAISES THE ADRENALINE
LEVEL IN YOUR BRAIN AND4@4@ CAU
YOU TO HAVE A PANIC ATTACK.
>> Reporter:4@ 4@YOU KNEW YOU H
TO MAKE CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE,
AND ONE OF THE PATHS YOU WENT
DOWN LEAD YOU TO THE
POSSIBILITY OF TRYING
MEDITATION.
WHAT HAD BEEN YOUR ATTITUDE
TOWARD THE MERE IDEA OF
CONSIDERING MEDITATION?
>> IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT MY
ATTITUDE WAS NEGATIVE.
WHEN I WAS FIVE YEARS 4@OLD, MY
PARENTS SENT ME TO A YOGA CLASS.
THE TEACHER DID MAKE THE JEANS
I WAS WEARING, MADE ME TAKE
THEM OFF AND 4@DO SUN SALUTATIO
IN MY TIDY WENDY'S.4@
>> Reporter: YOU THOUGHT 4@
MEDITATION WAS BEARDED SWAMI'S,
UNWASHED HIPPIES, FANS OF JON
TESTER MUSIC.
>>4@ THAT WHOLE GENRE OF MUSIC,
THOUGHT PEOPLE WHO DID THIS
WERE