I was listening to an audiobook today while doing yardwork, half attentive and half in daydream. Through the mist, I heard the author casually note that there’s a big difference between being a nice guy and a good man.

Woah.

Both my daydreaming and my pruning paused on the spot, and now I’ve been pondering this nice/good distinction all afternoon.

Nice smiles at others. Good advocates for them.

Nice does enough. Good goes the extra mile.

Nice fades when out of view. Good needs no witness.

Nice keeps the peace. Good holds the line.

Dear ones, sometimes Good requires Nice to be sacrificed – a dreadful inconvenience.

When it does, which will we be?

** The book noted here was Matthew McConaughey’s Poems & Prayers, which was super as an audio book – but I plan to revisit in printed form, so that I can attend to every line.