Only the good die young...

With the headlines filled to the brim on the rantings of Charlie Sheen, the North Korean leader once again threatening war because no one is paying attention to him, Libya falling apart and Wisconsin about to go out of business I wanted to take this space to tell you the world lost someone really important. Someone I had never met-but wish I had.

On one of my frequent trips to a close friends house to basically suck down coffee like a Hoover (vacuum cleaner not the president) and walk through the more spiritual aspects of life and how to possibly apply forgiveness to situations that seem hopeless and ride out the pain that life throws at us in all forms, my eye caught the edge of the daily paper-a photograph to be exact of Hampton Benjamin Waring on the obituary page. He is a square jawed bright eye young man with a slight smile and shock of dark hair and the reading goes on to say that Ben died tragically in a car accident in Dover, Wisconsin on Feb 19, 2011.


Ben was born to Hampton and Mary Beth Waring and attended Superior Central Schools here in Upper Michigan. He was a standout baseball player, track athelete and made All-State and All-Class Honorable Mention his Senior year in basketball. It was at high school he met the love of his life Jessica Shegan-Fox and was in the National Honor Society and active with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Dare Program. Word has it he was a skilled craftsman and great brother to Katie and Joe. Ben spent his summers throwing bales of hay at the mill and working for any neighbor who needed a hand-no questions asked. After high school graduation he attended Michigan Tech-and in his senior year he helped to design a bridge in Soloy, Panama and upon graduating from Tech with his civil/structural engineering degree was part of the bypass project in in Wisconsin. He continued to enjoy baseball and was a tough foe in paintball. He planned to marry Jessica in July of 2012. A great day for Ben including a good pair of jeans and sweatshirt..customizing his pickup truck named "Talula" and eating his favorite food with a large glass of cold chocolate milk. Ben was a remarkable guy who had a real sense of himself and others and had a way of listening to other people's problems and with his down to earth character, he could simplify the issue and show them that they could overcome the challenge. He had a real clarity about life and friends and family say that Ben "got it" in regards to life. He was a great role model for all who knew him.

Hampton Benjamin Waring was 23 when he died.

My spirit leapt just thinking about his incredible young man-untainted by the polarizing issues of the day that knock so many of us off track. His inner compass that brought forth his gifts and his willingness and courage to totally be himself when so many his age want to be someone else. The energy and zeal for living that he lived life with, a sense of urgency about the gift of waking up another day. As I read and re-read about Ben's life I began to question my own mortality. What will be written about me when I am gone? Will it be about the books I have authored or the radio shows I have done? Will it talk about the famous people I have worked with and the places I have been? The houses I bought or the cars I drive? I suppose all of that is in the hands of the final author of my life-whomever that may be.

I left the house and thought about Ben all night. Family and friends were gathering to say good-bye to a remarkable human being, comforting each other in their loss, made that much deeper due to the fact that the Ben Waring's of the world are few and far between...oh they are out there but its not often we hear about them until its too late. I wish I would have known him in life, but its his death that has given me a spark, a gift and a resurgence that brought a little bit more light into some dark corners. I have another day that he did not, I have the opportunity to make the most of it and so do you. I have the paper with Ben's obituary on my writing desk-and there it will stay as a reminder that tomorrow is promised to no one. In a final act of courage Ben had chosen to be an organ donor and his wishes will save up to 50 lives.

The most important headlines seemingly are about mega-stars flapping their yap about how life did them wrong, dictators that were ignored as kids and need to make a mess the world to get attention and how those in elected office often confuse force with true power. Ben Waring knew the difference and in just 8,395 days on Earth accomplished more, touched more lives and made more of an impact than most people I know.

Thanks Ben.