The problem is, he never knew when to slow down or how to take care of himself. There was always a certain urgency to everything he did. He was the antithesis of a politician — he got things done and got them done yesterday (which is why he resisted all offers to join politics). It came at a price. He didn't sleep or eat well, and it took its toll. He looked haggard at times, and in recent years he has walked with increasing difficulty. He frequently winced from pain, but never said a word about it when you were around him.

"Larry doesn't look too good," was a common refrain among acquaintances in the past year or so.

His body had to organize a boycott finally to get him to slow down. A heart attack on June 10 was followed by kidney failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, and other problems associated with gout and diabetes. It took surgery and eight pints of blood and 59 days in the hospital and much more to get him on his feet again. He had enough health issues to stock a year's worth of "House" episodes. He says he almost died four times.

So now the 64-year-old Miller is trying to make changes in his lifestyle. Recently, he turned over CEO duties to his empire, as it is often called, to his son Greg, who has been groomed for the job for years. But will it be that easy?

You know the Miller type. Can't sit still. Must be up and doing. Thrives on the thrill of the hunt. As soon as he reaches the top of one mountain, he's looking for another to climb.

"My father has an insatiable appetite to correct problems and do deals," Greg once told me. Dave Allred, who worked for Miller for years, said, "He will go to his grave making a deal. That's what he does."

For Miller, and others like him, it's a double-edged sword. He needs rest, but he feels like he's only truly living when he's working. Like a shark (an otherwise poor metaphor for Miller), he has to keep moving to breathe. Not to work, not to achieve, not to solve problems, not to strive could be as unhealthy as doing all those things while neglecting himself. Miller on the sidelines is like John Stockton on the bench. He'll want in the game.

Getting off the treadmill that has been his life for so many years will be a great challenge.

---

Doug Robinson's column runs on Tuesdays. Please e-mail drob@desnews.com.