Linda AKA Meek Passed Away This morning

[ServoCrow]

Only had the pleasure of Meek's company through this, Terry's Monster Army Camp, and what a talented, intelligent lady she was.  Reading through all the  heartfelt posts, I wish I had corresponded with her directly.  My loss.  Our loss.  God rest your beautiful, monstrous soul, Linda "Meek" Miller.

It is during the sad, senseless moments like this that I start pondering why I bother to collect all this stuff.   It gives me great pleasure, of than I am certain, but...I can't take it with me, and perhaps it might be better to spend the monster money (and time) doing things and going places and building memories with my loved ones instead of building a vast pile of ponderous plastic and paper for them to sort through to sell in a garage sale one day.

Talk me down, fellow troops.....

I heard someone say once (it seems so long ago now) that these things we collect won't cure cancer or stop wars, they are just things (toys) after all.....but these things, the people that brought them forth.....the movies, the talented artists---THOSE are the ties that binds us.   And "we"---the collectors, the movie fan...We keep and nourish friendships through that tie.  We celebrate victories and triumphs; and are saddened through defeats and the realization of our mortality.  

It doesn't matter where you stand in the army here, Meek's passing will touch us all....and for a very long time.

[fmofmpls]

Every soldier here in this army wears a badge called an avatar. I will sure miss seeing this one. It always brought with it charm, wit, and crafty intellect to the forum.

[typhooforme]

Well said, Servo.  Were it not for my heaps and shelves full of inanimate movie memorabilia, I would not have entered these strange doors--now so beloved and familiar to me--and neither would Meek--nor would any of us have come in here.  Thanks be, we DID!  And we found one another, and out of that grew friendships we'll treasure all our days.  The "things" are only things, yes--but they led us to meet each other.  And that is a wonderful thing indeed!

[Mego73]

I can only say that I should've known this lady better.

About those getting philosophical about the "meaning of it all" and if hobbies and collecting are really worth it. Remember, you wouldn't know of Linda at all were it not for the common bond of this hobby.

Linda cared for it, it meant a lot to her and would not want her kindred spirits to use her death as a repudiation of it.

This hobby and fellowship greatly contributed to the quality of the life Linda had.

As long as we all keep it in balance, like anything else, we shouldn't deny ourselves simple pleasures like this because life is short. Of course, this doesn't mean we shut out other things that make life worth living.

Bottom line, Linda loved this and wants this to continue with as many like minded people as possible.

[packy120353]

It gives me great pleasure, of than I am certain, but...I can't take it with me, and perhaps it might be better to spend the monster money (and time) doing things and going places and building memories with my loved ones instead

If your loved ones are like my loved ones, they want me to have this pleasure and I them. We get greater pleasure from seeing our loved ones happy as do those who love you.

I have already posted once about Linda, but as I read this outpouring I feel the immense power of this love for a fellow member that some of us have never even met. If that isn't a higher power what is...? I met Meek at 2006 Bash and we stood and each made sarcastic wisecracks at the expense of some poor monster toy. That was all. Then she sent me cards she created, I sent her a goofy little Hunchback in greenware for her to paint. She let me know that she did paint him and he was sitting by her monitor, and she was going to send me a pic someday. I'd love like anything to get him back to cherish in her memory. I hope in life Linda felt even fraction of the affection that's so obvious here on this cold chunk of the world wide web. I hope even now she feels those strands humming in tune with the positive energy she generated - I think we all feel that. I'm so proud of this Universal Monster Army and to be part of it. Terry ya done good.

What a presence an absence can be.
Meek - nice name for someone who looms even larger in death than in life! Meek indeed - you are a star.  Good job Linda! You aced this portion.

With gratitude and joy at having known you,
pk

[fmofmpls]

It is during the sad, senseless moments like this that I start pondering why I bother to collect all this stuff.   It gives me great pleasure, of than I am certain, but...I can't take it with me, and perhaps it might be better to spend the monster money (and time) doing things and going places and building memories with my loved ones instead of building a vast pile of ponderous plastic and paper for them to sort through to sell in a garage sale one day.

I'd be a liar if I said I've never asked myself that very same question. But then I remind myself that if it weren't for these vast piles of ponderous plastic, I would have never met you Gary back in 1993. And the long, long, list of friendships that were to follow. All of you guys are like family to me. And when you lose some one like Meek, it hurts real bad. I know it sounds corny, but I cherish all of you. In some ways more than my own family. It all comes back to where we choose to place our priorities. Owning a Frankenstein Head Speaker means absolutely nothing to me if I can't share it with someone else who happens to share my strange obsession of such junk. The toys for me are simply vehicles to a more cherished collectible - fellowship. I was just talking with Richard Olson the other day (before the sad news of Meek's passing) and he happened to mention that we're all just caretakers of this stuff until it's time for us to pass it on to somebody else. His words are still resonating with me this evening. It's so true.

The toys, the movies, the actors and actresses are what brought us here together. It's the fellowship and blossoming friendships that have been forged from 'ponderous plastic' that makes those piles of junk valid. I say keep collecting, but enjoy in moderation.

[avenger]

Well said,General.I only joined the UMA in May of this year through a chance encounter on
the web with our own Raymond Castile who suggested I would enjoy a group called
the Universal Monster Army.Boy,was he right ! I have never met any of you in person,but
through posts and emails with various members,I have come to know you and regard you
all as friends.That includes the very talented and witty lady we knew as Meek.
Someone once said "Each Man's Death Diminishes Me".I feel that we have all been diminished
today.

[capt.hendry51]

I did not have the pleasure to meet Linda, but I always enjoyed her TCM cable reminders and looked forward to each one that she posted.  I also appreciated the sense of humor that shown through each of her posts.  So, in that spirit, and in the hopes that this offering will comfort all assembled in this forum, here is a favorite Irish poem that has helped me.  Good bye Linda and Godspeed.

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there , I do not sleep.
I am the thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints of snow...
I am the sunlight on ripened grain...
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you waken in the morning hush,I am the swift uplifting rush
of gentle birds in circling flight...
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there... I did not die.

[Gary D Macabre]

Mike, keeping that balance is the secret...

Gary, thanks for the reminder of that wonderful OotMah series by you from The Grand Old Days.

Linda was quite an Anglophile, at least in the area of Letters, and loved Dickens. This from the CAROL just came to me, when I read your words, Terry:

Bob Crachit surrounded by his family, after the death of Tiny Tim -

"But however and when ever we part from one another, I am sure we shall none of us forget poor Tiny Tim -- shall we -- or this first parting that there was among us."

"Never, father!" cried they all.

"And I know," said Bob, "I know, my dears, that when we recollect how patient and how mild he was; although he was a little, little child; we shall not quarrel easily among ourselves, and forget poor Tiny Tim in doing it."

"No, never, father!" they all cried again.

-Craig

While not intended as a reminder of a series of images, more to the point is was me restating my appreciation when words completely fail me.  Famous UMA was intended as a means of showing appreciation and thanks for the individual's efforts as MC, and a reminder or a record of what went on in our little world during that period of time.  One month is hardly enough to cover all the little things Linda did in the UMA to make life a little more enjoyable, but it was her month.  Be it as it may, every month could be her month, she gave so much of herself.  I will surely miss her presence.

[Monsterama2000]

Like many here have said, I never met Meek in person. But I feel like I know her from reading her posts. She will be missed.

Rest in peace Linda.

[Gasport]

I'm having a really hard time focusing on any of the other threads at the moment. I keep coming back to this one. How unfair is it that with all the truly despicable entities on this planet that such a positive, generous and creative light should be so randomly snuffed out?  Makes no sense.

[MonsterArt]

It is during the sad, senseless moments like this that I start pondering why I bother to collect all this stuff.   It gives me great pleasure, of than I am certain, but...I can't take it with me, and perhaps it might be better to spend the monster money (and time) doing things and going places and building memories with my loved ones instead of building a vast pile of ponderous plastic and paper for them to sort through to sell in a garage sale one day.

This quote brings up a question that obviuosly many of us have toiled with. Linda's passing makes us all wonder, "what will become of all that I have sought after, and was it worth it in the end?"

The answer is yes. It was well worth it.

And so, Linda's passing has prompted me to post something I've wanted to post for some time. But I will start a new thread, so as not to distract from the imporantance of our rememberences here.

It will be called "Collectabilism," and will be a portion of what David J. Schow said to me not long ago.

In the meantime, I have posted a brief notice about Linda on my monster art blog:

http://sketchythings.blogspot.com/

Bless Linda, and bless us all.

[Richard]

This is shocking news. I'm at a loss for words. I never met Linda; wish I could have somehow. The years I lived in Mankato Minnesota -and Linda so close by in Spirit Lake, Iowa. If I had only known of her then. A visit to her library would have been wonderful! Sadly, this was before the UMA and I only got to know of Linda through the UMA. We never corresponded so I have little to share in personal memmories of her. My great loss. But, through her postings at the UMA, I think I do know her well and I 'm going to miss her very, very much. Terribly, in fact.


I have only one email from Linda. I kept it.
It concerns a project I made  (Max' s fabulous idea!) to bring Christmas cheer to Robert Taylor. A monster-type Christmas card. Bela, Boris, Lon, Vincent, etc. ~ALL dressed in Santa suits~ and members of the UMA in the toy bag. Any personal thoughts could be added to the card.
"Meek" ,of course, wanted to be part of this and sent this email note, It's from December 2nd, 2006. It's the only email I have from her and I share with you all here.

*************************************************


   Richard:  I'm responding to Max's request for
contributions to Robert Taylor's Christmas card
spectacular. First off, I really don't like to be
photographed, never have, but I do have a rather silly
photo taken a few years ago at Halloween when I was
attired as "Cardinal Biggles" from Monty Python's
Spanish Inquisition sketch---I think this would be
much funnier since-----NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH
INQUISITION!---especially at Christmas.

   Now, as for a Christmas memory:

   In 1969 my entire family flew to Germany to spend
Christmas and New Year's with my Mum's side of the
family. When we were half-way across the Atlantic
Ocean my Mum turned to my Father and asked "Did I turn
off the stove?" to which my Father replied "Don't
worry, if you didn't I'm sure the fire engines will
take care of it."
   We landed in Bremen and my Opa & Oma picked us up
in their VW Beatle--we were packed in like sardines
for the ride to their house---I think the luggage was
tied to the top of the Bug.
   Various and assorted relatives came by to visit,
Aunts, Uncles, Cousins by the droves and then those
who weren't really blood relatives but still called
"Aunt & Uncle"(its a German thing & confusing). Onkle
Paul had been on a U-Boat that lurked off the coast of
New England as part of "Operation Drumbeat" and my Opa
would evade all questions about what he did during the
war which was aircraft design for Focke-Wulf &
Messerschmidt.
    Being accident prone I fell a lot, with the most
memorable fall happening directly in front of a street
car---never wear shoes with plastic soles while
attempting to run on cobblestones---fell flat on my
arse. There were many social blunders as well with
most being shrugged off due to the fact that I was
part American--the worst of these blunders was when I
wanted to tell my Uncle Wolfgang that I thought he was
funny but used the wrong word(thanks to a child's book
of easy German phrases from the school library) and
instead infered that he was queer.
    Oh, I could go on for pages---but shan't.
    Despite the many mishaps, Christmas in Germany in
1969 was(and still is)the best Christmas I've ever
had.

    "Meek"

****************************************
For some reason, the song "You Don't Know What You've Got (Until You Lose It)" won't leave my mind.
Rest in piece, Linda "meek". You are loved.

Richard

[raycastile]

It sure would be nice if Linda's "Bunches of Hunches" library exhibit could go on as planned.

It would also be nice to include it in the UMA display next year.  We could do it like the Ben Chapman tribute we did this year, or we could put it in a separate fixture.

Is anyone in a position to coordinate this?

[fmofmpls]

It sure would be nice if Linda's "Bunches of Hunches" library exhibit could go on as planned.

It would also be nice to include it in the UMA display next year.  We could do it like the Ben Chapman tribute we did this year, or we could put it in a separate fixture.

Is anyone in a position to coordinate this?

That's a great idea Raymond. I would really like to see this come to fruition. One way or another, "Bunches of Hunches" needs to be part of next year's display. A perfect "UMA way" to honor Meek.