Niceness Has Left The Building

"Life is pretty amazing. I'm glad God invented it."

I stumbled onto Ben's blog about two years ago. One thing obvious from day one: Ben was a nice guy. A very nice guy. A nice guy with an attitude if niceness.
It's not often you find this level of goodwill from one as opinionated as he is.

He wrote on a wide range of topics: life, faith, society, politics, lame poetry, blogging, recovery from alcohol and his subsequent entrance into a more monastic life of seminary and self-improvement.
Along the way, he acquired a bride-to-be, and shared that with us also.

In what is a sad day for the blogger world, Ben has decided to retire his keyboard.
There are millions of blogs, but few are the bright lights that stand out.
Ben was one those.
Never an unkind word for those he disagreed with.
Always open to what you had to say before he politely countered it.
Always open to a exchanging a few ribs pokes and lighthearted banter. It was never personal with Ben.
And he was always entertaining.

As I've told him personally: "You can judge a man by the company he keeps."
This matters even more so on the blogs, where company is often fleeting, there are no forced associations, and 'Birds of a feather' has become a self-enforced rule of individual practice. Consequently, a trip through his contacts will tell you all about who he is.
Ben kept good company because he is good company.

He once stated that he'd started blogging as a way to meet people and maybe make a few friends. I'd say it worked, as I've seen first hand how he respected and liked he is.

Farewell,Ben.
It's been a pleasure, one that I hope continues with your visits here.
May the Good Lord continue to bless you.