Sadness

My blogfather, Kim DuToit, has decided to hang it up. This is the comment I left:

Well, day late and a dollar short, but oh well.

Kim and Connie, I just want you to know how your efforts affected me. I joke a lot about being an ex-liberal, but it really is true. When I found your corner of the interwebs, I had a lot to learn. I don’t always agree with you, but I find myself on your side more often than not. You and your forum winkled me out as a lurker and made me participate, which has been a very rewarding experience.

When you and the Mrs. hosted your 9/11 remembrance, I came to your house and found you both to be charming, well spoken and very smart. The others there (The Layabout Sailer, Airboss, and Kevin, among others) provided very stimulating conversation and disturbed my worldview. I’ll never forget Airboss starting a round table discussion about who should vote. I had no answer for my position. I’ve discovered that a lot in the past.

I’ve also always felt that if there was to be a time when the nation needed rebuilding that your house contained some of the nation’s best constitutional supporters, and that the country could be rebuilt on the foundations of the minds there.

I’ve also appreciated you as a friend over the years. I’ve known you as an honorable man who’s word is without question - a rarity in today’s world. So, when you say you are gone, I believe you. If you decide to come back, my opinion of you would not change.

So, to paraphrase Douglas Adams - “So long and thanks for all the fish.” I’ll miss you, but I’ll also never forget yours and Connie’s efforts. Take care and may all your wishes come true. Y’all deserve it.

I meant it, too. One other thing I have taken from Kim and Connie is that if something is to be done, it must be done properly. Eating, traveling, reading - you should be devoting yourself to something better than the rest. I'm afraid I fall short of this goal, because my tastes are fairly pedestrian. There are many issues I disagree with the DuToits on - for instance, they are atheists and I am not. But, they are a tolerant couple who don't try to foist their religion or lack thereof on others, and they require the same from the rest of us. A fair exchange.

I truly wish Kim the best in his endeavors to return to his writing roots, and hope he becomes a successful writer. He certainly has the talent and the will.

So, when he says "I'm off to the range" for the last time, it will be a sad day.