Thank You, Kurt

According to Technorati, more than 4,000 blog posts had been published on the subject of Mr. Kurt Vonnegut, as of early afternoon today.

What's truly amazing is that such a disparate range of individuals – from the left, right, and middle of the political spectrum – could all have essentially the same heart-rending reaction to the news of Vonnegut's passing.

Perhaps that should count among his greatest accomplishments: While we all knew or assumed what his politics were, we didn't care. He stubbornly transcended politics, reminding us to think as we should think: not about systems and structures and processes, but about people; individuals both like and unlike us, doing their damnedest to slug on from day to day, desperately pushing off the bad and bear-hugging the good.

Of all the posts published today on the man, Shaun Mullen wrote what I think should be the defining post. I encourage you to read it, and out of respect for Mr. Vonnegut's preference for saying in a handful of pages what it took others to say in volumes, I'll leave it at that plus one final, unremarkable thought: Goodbye, Kurt. Thank you for every word you wrote and every ounce of compassion you persuaded us to extend to our fellow travelers.