Sunday, February 21, 2010

The Last Act of Courage...

Bruno Knaapen is gone.

He died yesterday.


By choice, and with dignity, Bruno bid his earthly family farewell and slipped beyond The Veil.  Bruno Knaapen was ravaged by brain cancer.  That cancer had spread throughout his body.

He was tired.

He was in pain,

but moreover...

He would no longer allow his family watch him suffer and wither.

In The Netherlands, you are allowed to make that choice.  We're not here to discuss or argue that choice.  That discussion will not take place here.

Let me tell you the one that will.

Choices that you can make.

Bruno spent years teaching thousands of people how to use Linux.  Brunolinux is a website devoted to do just that and the lion's share of my knowledge of Linux grew from that tree.  From bash scripting to my feeble attempts at learning C...

I learned it from Bruno.  Not only did Bruno give me the pages to read...he gave me personal help when the pages were not enough.

He didn't know me from Brad Pitt.

Yet he spent hours in personal communication with me...helping me understand the thing that would eventually turn my life in a completely different direction.

So let me offer you some choices you can make.

Just for one day...one hour...one moment...

Look around you.  Look for someone who needs help.  It doesn't have to be with Linux.  It doesn't even have to concern computing or technology.

Help someone open a door with their arms full of groceries.

Move an obstacle from someone's path.

Take a burden from someone, if just for one day...one hour...one moment.

And when you do it and they thank you...

Just smile.

And tell them about Bruno.

All-Righty Then Bruno Knaapen...

All-Righty Then.
at

15 comments:

  1. Anonymous2/21/10, 11:10 AM

    I just found a couple of tutorials on Bruno's site that'll be useful for a couple of UNIX noobs we've got at work. I've mailed them the links. I knew nothing of Bruno until Ken's recent posts but by the sound of it, passing on knowledge is a fitting tribute.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous2/21/10, 11:16 AM

    Random acts of kindness.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Amenditman2/21/10, 11:26 AM

    Ken,

    Thank you for introducing me to Bruno.

    I felt like a friend from the first. Even though it was only for a short time, his friendship will last forever.

    Blessings
    Bob

    ReplyDelete
  4. StarFortress2/21/10, 12:08 PM

    All my best to Bruno's family and friends. I knew a man like that back on the Prodigy BBs. His name was Mac and he knew a boot.ini file like the floor plan to his house. He helped me with that till it was done with patience and knowledge.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous2/21/10, 2:03 PM

    RIP Bruno.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous2/21/10, 3:55 PM

    Good bye, and thanks for all the Fish.
    Just another Penguin.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous2/21/10, 4:42 PM

    I've been to the brunolinux web site a few times over the years. His kindness and enthusiasm for linux and his willingness to help others is a true example of community.
    Paul Sams

    ReplyDelete
  8. ebrke2/21/10, 5:21 PM

    Thanks for this tribute, Ken. He was a wonderful man who will be long remembered by many people. He made our world a better place.

    ReplyDelete
  9. gagy2/22/10, 1:45 PM

    Ken
    You are so right.
    Small acts of kindness are all that are needed. Peace and understanding starts at home, with your friends, your neighbors, and finally with people you don't know.
    Look around. There are very small things that need to be done, and they do not cost anything: you only need to be aware of others.
    As someone else said: "random acts of kindness" is what is needed in this world.
    As for you Ken (and Bruno of course), your acts of kindness are not random and for that reason they are perhaps more effective.
    Thank you (and Bruno).

    ReplyDelete
  10. Alain EMPAIN2/22/10, 3:26 PM

    Dignity seems the master word to me.

    Many thanks to Bruno for his long term dedication to the spirit of the free world.

    Alain

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous2/22/10, 3:41 PM

    RIP, my dear boy.

    Bruno has helped many of us, including myself.

    I would ask that the knowledge on his site is placed somewhere more safe, as he has departed, there is no telling what will happen to his site.

    -Dante

    ReplyDelete
  12. SecurityBreach2/22/10, 6:49 PM

    Ken, that was beautiful!! Your words could not be truer.

    ReplyDelete
  13. ebrke2/26/10, 3:05 PM

    Bruno made arrangements for the website to remain up for the next five years. His website should be safe for the forseeable future. The tips can also be accessed at Bruno's All Things Linux at Scott's Newsletter Forums.
    http://forums.scotsnewsletter.com/index.php?showforum=14

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous3/16/10, 11:21 AM


    Just for one day...one hour...one moment...

    Look around you. Look for someone who needs help.

    You have the ability to make me laugh and cry Ken. Thanks for your humanity and the ability to do both.

    Jen

    ReplyDelete
  15. multinivel5/17/10, 1:07 PM

    A bold one that fight versus the Microsoft empire has gone...I never meet him but I like the word you have dedicated to him.
    God bress him

    ReplyDelete

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