Goodbye, Traveler. You Are Missed.

I have sad news to pass along. When I read this, it hit me harder than I thought it would, because despite the fact that there are thousands of daily readers and I haven’t met a one of you IRL, this is a meetingplace of like-minded friends, and a family of sorts, so when one leaves us it feels like a personal loss.

I don’t know if the emailer wanted the correspondence to remain private, (no explicit instructions one way or the other were given), so I’m using my prerogative to tell you all about it because it matters to long-time Chateau readers, and it’s my opinion that the person of interest would appreciate my decision to inform everyone here of what has happened.

However, I’ve redacted any and all identifying info, so if the correspondent wished for privacy this post will not have violated that wish. And I will delete the post if asked to do so by the original emailer.

Dear CH,

I wanted to let you know one of your biggest fans, winner of many COTW’s and my best friend of nearly 40 years “[REDACTED]”, died suddenly aged [REDACTED] (apparently from heart failure but there are very strange circumstances still surrounding his death).

[REDACTED] unplugged me when he gave me the 16 commandments of poon after a crushing friendzoning (I was beta). So I will be forever grateful that he brought me to your blog that I read every day.

[REDACTED] was recently divorce raped, deliberately being alienated from his kids and his own mother disowned him and cut him from her sizable will (complicated backstory).

However, during the last 4 years, [REDACTED] and I would get together at least once or twice a week and have truth talks as found on this hallowed blog. We helped each other deal with the shit men go through in life via the teachings of this site, so again I thank you for that.

I will give the eulogy when we say goodbye in about a week and I so badly want to shiv his ex wife & her side of the family that basically stole his life. I would be grateful for any suggestions…

Anyway, part of my grieving process is looking back of those classic [REDACTED] comments.

Best,

[REDACTED]

Many of you are familiar with our departed happy warrior’s handle and his commenting style. (I won’t link to any of his thoughts here, unless otherwise asked to by involved parties.) The Chateau lost a good one. He was funny and biting and if I can judge character from a person’s commenting history, he was a mate I’d have a beer with no problem. It’s disillusioning to hear that a cheerful fellow like him had to bear the heavy burden of our fucked up modren societies, and that it likely contributed to his early death.

As for suggestions about the eulogy, I can’t give anything that wouldn’t sound artificial and distant. This is an online neighborhood; it fulfills social needs unmet by our breaking bad societies, but it’s not real life. I didn’t know [REDACTED] as a real life friend, nor his family, nor his friends; any words I offer on his behalf would be a degree or three removed from who he was as a man and what his life story told to the world. Any contribution I’d make would be jarringly off-key in a solemn context.

Ok one suggestion….don’t pull out the howitzers. The subtlest, softest shiv is all you need. The ex will get the point (heh). Something like, “[REDACTED] faced obstacles, some put in his way by those whom he trusted, yet he smiled through it all….”. (If he didn’t smile through it all, say so anyway. It’ll trigger his enemies.)

Last thing I remember
I was running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the blog I was before
“Relax,” said the blog host
“We are programmed to receive
You can check-out any time you like
But you will never leave.”