There are people in our life that come and go. Some are meant to be here for the just a short stay and others the long haul. There will be those that will enrich your life just as there will be a fair share of detractors. Our lives are filled with people we meet everyday and it is our personal decision weather to invest our time and energy into that relationship or not. Then there are a special few that take it upon themselves to make that choice for us. Those personalities we surround ourselves with shape who we are and effect our daily lives. We are all products of our environment and the company we keep to some extent.
Two weeks ago we lost a good man and I lost a friend that was meant to be one for life. He was also among those that never gave me the opportunity to decide weather he was going to be a friend or not. He just always was. His name was Charles Benjamin Dellea commonly and lovingly called "Charlie - Ben" by many friends and family. He along with his Fiancé Jennifer Butler are the type of people that would give you their left arm and ask if you where certain you didn't need their right one as well and that they could do without it. Charles and Jenn where people you are fortunate to surround yourself with if given the opportunity. They didn't have much however whatever they did have was always open to be given away to anyone less fortunate. It was this personality that made his infectious smile all that more loveable because it was always real. In the short time I knew Charlie-Ben I absorbed a great deal of who he was and took special note of the way he treated those around him. After his sudden death, Jennifer and I spoke about how much his personality was like a puppy. He just wanted to be loved. I swear to this day Jenn had to roll up a newspaper and swat him on the nose for some reason or another. Charlie-Ben always came back with that big old smile. He had this uncanny ability to forgive anyone in a moments notice and just move on as though nothing ever happened. He would curse someone out under his breath for crossing him and then laugh about the issue while recounting it with that same person not even an hour later. Charlie-Ben was just 34 years old when he lost his life while doing something he loved (white water rafting) with the woman that was his rock and he loved so much. Even while experiencing the early warning signs of his impending heart attack he was jovial about the trip. He ignored all the signs just trying to stretch his chest out while trying to get Jennifer pumped up about taking on a challenging river. He was bouncing around nudging her with that big old smile of his saying "are you ready? Ready Jenny?!" Jenn I can only imagine returned his barbs with a roll of her eyes and deep laugh.
His passing got me thinking as most deaths will about not only the fragility of life but also the quality and way it was lived. How will I be remembered? I have always said I want my family and those close to me to be able to say "He kept every promise he ever made." I think that is a great way to be remembered. I also don't want people to be so sad for my passing when that day comes as I want what Charlie-Ben wanted, for people to celebrate and remember his life like he did with a smile. I hope everyone has some great belly laughs at my expense! Remember me how I lived not how I will die. My only real hope is that my final words on this earth aren't "oh shit!" At his memorial service we were all encouraged to talk and share stories about him. I loved this idea! I also LOVE a good story or two as you have seen here. However wouldn't you like to hear what people would say about you or others prior to their death. Wouldn't it be great if we didn't wait till it was too late to tell that story or fond memory?
It is just that idea that I am going to ask you all to do with me. Allow me to explain. I don't know about you but I use Facebook quite a bit. If you are like me, then you don't know everyone in your friends list the same way. Many of you I am thankful to call acquaintances and I am looking forward to getting to know you all just a little bit however you are either friends of friends, people I have met from behind the bar or have come to follow me after seeing this website and for that I thank you. My point being unfortunately for me I don't have a story to tell about you all. Although someone undoubtedly does. There is also a special spot in Facebook to place all the people who you do know better than others in the "Close Friends section."
Unless you live under a rock then you probably saw the "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge." This was a amazing campaign that raised a ton of awareness and money for the deadly disease. In each video of the challenge we had to challenge up to 5 others calling them out on the social media site to do the same or donate to the cause. We saw everyone from friends and family to the likes of Bill Gates, Michael Jordan, and even the founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerburg along with many other big names take part. Well I am not asking you to donate money however I am asking you to donate time, not long but just a stitch to share a story and raise awareness about another human being. Besides who doesn't love a good story, right?
+++ So here is how this will work. Every couple of days pick someone in no certain order that you know well enough to tell a story about. Make sure the story is one that you could tell before family and friends. The point here is not to embarrass or belittle. The entire point is to tell a good story about this person that everyone might want to hear. It can be just about anything how you met, something funny that happened or something you did together. If you can think about being at this persons funeral (I know a little morbid) and saying "I wish he/she where here to hear me tell this story" then that's your winner. Now sit down with your video camera and tell the story. Try to keep the story to 2 minutes at the max. Upload the story to Facebook and tag the person in the story. Once you have done that, then place that person in your "close friends" section.
I hope you all have a great time regaling us with your stories. I can't wait to hear all the good ones out there. Let's all celebrate the lives we have come to know and touch and tell our stories before it's too late.
Cheers!
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