We all have people we should have called and now it's too late. Mike Harden is one of mine. The award winning Columbus Dispatch Columnist passed away Wednesday evening.

If you never read Mike's work, then you too missed a calling. When you are trying to be a writer, as I am, the best thing you can do is read the good ones. Mike was among the best, with a gifted pen seen less and less in our new electronic age that I dub twiddly dumb, tweetly dee. So I had Mike's column in my long list of bookmarks, and always looked forward to reading the unique, vivid and down home prose he crafted about everyday life and simple things.

Mike was also a Buckeye Fan, having grown up in the shadow of Columbus and he graduated in journalism from Ohio State. As such, his archives contain no shortage of commentary on Ohio State Football and Ohio Stadium. "I should connect with him," I told myself when he retired. Alas, time and commitments and life got in the way of that and well, now it's too late.

Just what I missed was brought home this morning when I clicked on The Dispatch web-page. Along with the notice of his passing, they have a Notable Stories and Columns page that is filled with some of his best pieces of work. Scroll down to the History section and read I Remember Woody, the tribute to Woody Hayes that Mike shared soon after Woody's passing. Would that I could write like that!

Maybe in time I can get part way there. The other column that caught my eye was Tips To Start Writers Off Right. In 731 words, Mike crammed as much good advice as all the "How To" books I have ever read. A printed version of that masterpiece is now taped to the side of my computer. Thanks Mike, for the advice, for the inspiration, and especially for the memories of Woody. You see that long ago day you wrote of, on the Oval, in the spring of 1970. I was there.