Twenty one years ago I was sitting on the floor writing cue cards outside Joan Rivers' dressing room at CBS Broadcast Center and the entire building was buzzing. Letterman was coming!!

Before deciding on the Ed Sullivan Theater for Late Show with David Letterman Letterman toured our 57th street studios to see if he wanted to shoot his new CBS show there. The poor maintenance staff worked for weeks painting the hallways and sprucing up the lobby but it was never meant to be for that location. As Letterman walked by young me sitting on the floor with my white cardboard and Magnum markers he nodded and said 'hi'.

It's not much of a story except for the fact that I am struck by how much time has passed from that moment where Letterman was the new guy looking for a studio at CBS to today when he announced his retirement. That snapshot of one of my heroes walking by is burned in my memory.

Dave leaving marks the end of the golden age of late night comedy. Long live every single one of his bits, interviews and monologues on YouTube.

I think I will miss the yearly holiday show with Jay Thomas and Darlene Love the most.