Getting to know The Box

Well, I am back from Dallas and it is really good to be home. As Dorthy so aptly stated, "There is no place like home." And with her I concur. But you could also say, "There is no place like Ben's home." And again I would concur. But sadly most of y'all would never give me a chance to concur with that statement because you wouldn't actually say it. For you don't know my brother Ben. And that is a crying shame for if there is anyone that you should know it would be Ben, or as he has come to be known as, "The Box." And so having just spent a week living with "The Box" as I attempted to sludge my way through my latest dts class I feel like a blog on brother would be appropriate.

The Box is a walking enigma. If people who knew Ben were given one word to describe him you would hear words from all sides of the spectrum. Some may say, quiet, shy, reserved, reticent, or even mute. But others would say things like, "bold, hilarious, uproarious, entertaining and even mirthful. That might leave you thinking, how in the world could one person be described as being both reticent and mirthful? Not only is that a good question, but that question, my friends, cuts to the very heart of the person that is Ben Box. To attempt to delve any deeper into the personality of Ben would be a vain attempt for he is a paradox wrapped in an enigma and then broken up into pieces for form a complex puzzle. So to help you understand The Box I shall not seek to objectively define him for that would be the definition of a labor done in vain. Instead I will paint you a picture by telling you of 2 conversations Ben and I had last week. For that is the only way for you to come to know Ben in all of his glory.

Once a upon a time, or otherwise known as last week, I stayed the week with my brother in Dallas. As I pulled up to Ben and Kendal's apartment that first night, I saw the broken down motorcycle that he had purchased while still in college, but had quite working as of late. As I entered his abode Ben and I began to talk about his transportation issues. For not only does his motorcycle not work, but the jeep that he purchased after graduating has also broken down. The conversation went something like this:

"Dude, have you heard anymore about when you jeep is going to be fixed?"
"I think it might happen in a week or two. I hope soon."
"How are you getting to work these days?"
"I take the train to the shuttle to the bus to work"
"What?"
"Yeah, it takes me a long time."
"Like how long?"
"I have to get up around 4:30."
Kendal his roommate interjects, "Seriously, I didn't know you got up that early."
"Yeah, I have to because I have to walk 20 minutes to the rail station. The train takes me into Fort Worth and lasts for about an hour, if I catch it on time. I then take the shuttle to the bus station. The bus station takes me pretty close to work, and I walk the rest of the way."
"How long is that?"
"About 2 1/2 hours for so."
"How long have you been doing that?"
"About a month."
"Do you want to use my car this week while I am in town?"
"That'd be great."

Things of note in this conversation. One, Ben didn't ask to borrow my car. Two, Kendal didn't even know how early Ben was having to get up. Three, who does this? Four, Ben likes adventure, and obviously his transportation choices reflect that. Five, when Ben tells us this story me and Kendal are amazed.

The second conversation of the week takes place on Friday. The conversation starts off with Ben saying,
"I had a pretty good day today."
"Yeah, what happened?"
"I saved my company the equivalence of my entire years salary."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, I was working on a project that was about to be approved and I saw that this company was trying to pull one over on us by charging us for something twice. I showed it to my boss and he called the company and they tried to play it cool like it was a mistake. In the end they took off saving us over $50,000. "
"That's awesome."
"Yeah, it was cool. On top of that we all went out to a sweet steak joint for lunch."
"Did they go there because you saved them so much money?"
"I don't think so."
"What did you get?"
"The meatloaf. It was really good."
"What? You got meatloaf at a really nice steakhouse?"
"Yeah, I didn't know if the company was paying or not, so I ordered the cheapest thing on the menu."
"You could have asked. They were probably taking you there because of all the money you saved them. How did you not get a steak?"
"The meatloaf was good."

Things of note in this conversation. First, Ben sees that the other company is trying to pull a fast one and he calls them on it. Two, the company goes to a nice restaurant and Ben doesn't ask if he is having to pay for it or if they are. Three, Ben orders Meatloaf instead of asking. Four, Ben is happy with the meatloaf.

These are just two conversations, but I believe from them you are left with a pretty good picture of who The Box is. Bold (saving his company money) yet reserved (ordering meatloaf instead of asking who is paying for this) entertaining (his transportation story) and reticent (not asking to borrow my car or finding another way into work).

I could go on and on for Ben's stories are some of the best stories I have ever heard. But if you heard more you might think you have begun to figure him out and in me letting you think that I would be doing you a disservice. For no one can figure Ben out. And that is why he is a legend.