Today my heart hurts.   My soul has become an empty chamber vacuumed of all care for just a moment.   Tracy calls me this morning with the news.   And speechless, I allow the pressure to build up like a dam in my eyes.  I have to get off the phone so I can let it go.   This is too hard to take; this is a little too close to home for me.   I can hear nothing but praise from him, telling me how proud he is of me and what I've done is amazing consider where I came from.   This man was a living legend and was humble as any peasant.   I've already started thinking about the songs I will listen to for weeks on end.   I'm doing this not to pay homage, but more to embed in my psyche the importance of his contributions.   I must never forget the talent this man gave us.   Oh man, if I had just one ounce of the charisma and character this gentle giant bestowed upon us, I would walk with the pride of every Roman victor.   Honestly, I'm blessed to have even gotten to know the man so dearly.  Most people work with their peers.  In my case, I'm surrounded by my mentors.   Dink was more than this; he was everything good, talented, and friendly.   A tall man with a big voice and a heart that could not hold all that life threw at him.   I'm thankful that Keith Houston managed to create the perfect compilation with "Think Dink".   There are also some never released tracks that I wrote for him. Maybe one day I'll find the strength in my heart to have them completed.   It's not as if the world needs my help to keep his presence clear and audible.   There are decades of classics that we have to share with each other.  Listen to them, think of the first time you saw the Breeze.  Or, remember how "Magician" makes a whole room tear up.   Every time I hear his voice I will remember all that was great about that man, all he did for us, and all he gave us.  He loved all of us, and he had no problem expressing that.   Learn from him today and when life's frustrations start to get the best of you, put on "Friends" and think Dink.