Rest in Peace, Mr. Positive
Notebook Recollections
I still grieve Mr. Positive, R.I.P. 12-18-25. Carl Lambert Bentson. Age 62.
I’ve driven or walked by his house most every day for 30 years to the clinic or West 7th. Both ways. 20,000 times I figure. Really.
I still go by his house daily. But no Carl. Now his yard vegetation is slightly overgrown. His orange plastic pumpkins are whitening. The US flag still flies over his front door.
But there is no sage Carl at his table. No big umbrella any longer dampening the sun. The breezes have frayed his green tablecloth.
There’s even some shattered glass on his front sidewalk (never would’ve been tolerated in Carl‘s presence). The brightly colored faux flowers are forever blooming.
Carl was friends with everyone. But his beloved neighbors were his “besties.” Bill Quinn, Barbara, Kent Peterson, Pat and John Mancini, Dave Cossetta, Jim Sasasavitch, John Yust and Karen Koeppe, his dearest, mostest bestie.
Karen and Carl went everywhere together. Karen at the wheel, Carl navigating. Kowalskis, Cooper’s, Mancini’s, Shamrocks, Day By Day, McDonald’s, doctors offices, hardware stores and bicycle shops.
Carl’s most anticipated destination was always the Minnesota State Fair. Karen often went with him on day one. Carl went every single other day and stayed all day. Bicycling there. He occasionally directed traffic on Snelling Avenue at the main entrance.
Carl never hung in bars other than to eat a burger or listen to music. There never were liquor store pilgrimages.
Carl wasn’t particularly a regular church-goer. But there were funerals, a wedding here and a graduation or retirement there.
West 7th and his flock of neighbors – that was his church.
He and Karen watching 15 Cedar Wax Wings in one of his front yard trees – that was his cathedral!
I have never heard Carl utter an abrasive word or sentence. Ever!
During an evening neighborhood power outage in February, I got a Carl-call.
“Are you in the dark?”
“Yes.”
“You ok?”
“Yes.”
CLICK .
Oh, it hurts to think of him always helping and assisting humanity. And worrying about his neighbors’ lawns. His hobbies were cleanliness and helpingness.
His favorite words were “OK” and “that’s a nice one.”
Surprisingly, Carl never liked dogs. I think he was afraid of them. He never put it in words, but whenever a dog was present or approached, there was a stiffening, a backing off, a leaning away.
Carl is famous. Been on the news, both big city newspapers and the wonderful Community Reporter, Highland Villager and Westside Voice. He’s been Knighted and Winter Carnalvlized and had an honorary day for himself. There’s a movie about Carl, “Mr. Positive” done by Mike Hazard.
And a Dan Rumsey song, “Mr Positive, That’s Who Is.”
West 7th artist, Stuart Loughbridge has done his portrait.
Politics never polluted Carl‘s soul. During the 2024 presidential election I asked him who he supported?
“The nicer one,” he answered.
Carl would’ve been a holy man in another time, heck, in our time! And he was wonderfully talented. Genius. Always giving, always worrying about others.
Carl Bentson.
Mr. Positive, that’s who he is.
