He’s out there, but you might not take notice. You see, he’s not the guy at a party telling jokes to a crowd around him and he’s nothing like the politicians you see on television. You know, those guys that persuade their legions of bobbleheads to nod in agreement to every word that comes out of their mouths.

No, the uncommonly good man never seeks attention at all. He doesn’t desire accolades for what he does well - and there is much that he has accomplished. He does not like to accept praise for a long list of achievements that have quietly enhanced the quality of life for his family and his community.

In reality, the uncommonly good man is someone you might think should be more common than he is. This man is unassuming. He does not display vexation. Modesty defines his nature. He revels in the happiness of others. Of course, there are a few of them out there, but they’re hard to find because they slip under the radar of the kind of men bestowed with honor these days.

It’s a shame that every man isn’t like him. The truth is he belongs to an endangered species. Nowadays, you don’t see many adult men having his high character profile. Unlike the ego-driven, this man is selfless and empathetic. He does not wave a flag signifying his own importance and he’s able to feel the suffering of mis-fortunate people he does not even know. The uncommonly good man chooses not to participate in the drama of human misbehavior. He delights in living a simple existence outside our complicated society hindered by masculine mayhem.

I am fortunate to know such a man. His name is Alex Stasyk and he lives in Bear Creek Lakes in Jim Thorpe with his wife, Pat. When I first met Alex many years ago, I didn’t quite know what to make of him. He seemed to be just “there” in a group of our friends. When we retired seniors would get together to play whiffle ball on Tuesday mornings, Alex would play and he was easy to ignore because he just went about the business of the game without speaking much to anyone.

But after many weeks of playing with our “Past Our Prime” team made up of athletic wannabes and arthritic slow goers, I began to take further notice of Alex. He always arrived with an aloof presence, but when my eyes studied him further, I saw that he was as competitive as any of us. I found out that in his younger years he was a pretty good ballplayer. He was not one to express much emotion if he got a base hit or made a good play in the field, but I could see he had a little jump in his step when he did. That was how I thought Alex brought back the child in him. The boy never leaves the uncommonly good man.

To those who know Alex, he’s a guy you might not call or look in on frequently, but a man you never forget about. He and his wife, Pat, a charming woman cut from the same mold as her husband, have given me their permission as their guest to fish from the backyard of their lakefront property. Every now and then while I’m there, Alex walks down the steps of his deck and visits with me. We chat about anything that comes to mind. These are the moments when I really get to know the man behind the kind face and the soft voice. Alex speaks without malice toward anyone. He’s a man of faith, who like Pat, devotes his entire mindset toward the well-being of others. Their home welcomes all who visit. Their property invites passersby to pause and gaze at the decorative tokens of each passing season along with a flag that supports Ukraine in its war against Russia.

As I hope to make another cast into the water warmed by the upcoming summer sun, I will look forward to sharing my thoughts with Alex about whatever comes to my mind. He will pay close attention because another quality of the uncommonly good man is that he listens with interest. I will ask him about his difficult health issues, but within the makeup of the genuine person that he is, he will reply as he has before, “A lot of people have it worse than me.”

We talk about nothing of much importance, but to me our conversations mean everything. I get to spend a little time with a man with such a beautiful soul that you just don’t find in too many people anymore.

In a world corrupted by greedy men who lack conscience, who seek money and power and will crush those who dare stand in their way, Alex stands taller than them all. Through the years he has built a tower of virtue inside his heart. He moves about with a rock steady appeal to anyone who should have the privilege of getting to know him. I am proud to call him a friend.

I know when he reads this column, Alex will feel unworthy of this tribute to him, but that is to be expected. Humility is one of the best qualities of the uncommonly good man.

Rich Strack can be reached at richiesadie11@gmail.com