Gone for a little while

I'll be away at a funeral this weekend and will probably be unable to answer e-mails and the like for a few days. One of my best friends, Eric Myers, was found dead on Monday of what appears to be a heart-related condition. As far as I know, he never had any health problems, aside from horrible, horrible snoring (which was rectified), so this comes as a complete shock to everybody.

He was, without question, the best guy I ever knew. He constantly gave of his time and energy to whoever needed it, volunteering a lot and never mentioning it or making a big deal of it; he always put his friends and family (and strangers) before himself; he was one of the few people I know who have strong moral convictions AND live up to all of them; and he was perhaps the most fun and vibrant person I've ever known - he made any room into which he walked into a party, he constantly set stuff up for people to do, and he was a unifyer... you could put him in a room full of black panthers and skinheads and they'd all be singing tavern songs within twenty minutes. It hasn't really sunk in yet... I can't imagine visiting Hopkinsville and not seeing Eric. Christmas, the movies, sparring, hanging out - I simply can't see any of these things without expecting to have Eric there.

Please keep your thoughts and prayers with his family, especially his fiance'. Eric was a notorious commitophobe, and Kristen (with whom we've been friends ten years) lit up his life - they were going to be married in a couple of months. I can't even imagine what she's going through, so please keep her comfort in thoughts.