It’s especially sad when the object of their campaign is a good man like Clay. He epitomizes the other end of the scale -- someone who spends just as much time, probably more, bringing joy into the world. He makes people happy. He has the ability to lift up those who are enveloped in pain and sadness and to brighten an ordinary day, whether with a beautiful line in a song, perfectly sung, or the cackle and hoot of his laughter and the sparkle in his eye as he tells a funny story or joke, often about himself.

It’s a choice, you see. Adding to the pain and sadness of the world or making it a little better, one word, one note, one giggle, one gesture at a time. I venture to guess that Clay has added more joy, more pleasure to this world and has helped, both directly and indirectly, more people in the past three years than most of us could reach in a lifetime. He would never admit it. I doubt he even believes that he himself can make that much of a difference. But he does, and he has. Oh, he has lots of flaws, many imperfections. He’s human. But they just make his talent, his desire to make a difference, and his achievements stand out all the more. “There’s a light, a certain kind of light…”