Memories of Cindy

[figmo]

I still remember the first time I met Cindy McQuillin. I was at a combination Oakland in 87 bid meeting and house filk at the home of flower_cat and mdlbear; I think it was around 1984. There was a filk circle, and I couldn't help but try to sneak in some listening while my then-husband was busy telling everyone how great he was. Every time this one woman with a voice so smooth it could melt Antarctica opened her mouth to sing, I noticed. That, of course, was Cindy. My first reaction to her was "she 'feels' like family." Instant comfort.

Cindy and I got to know each other over the years. She got to watch me evolve as a person, and I got to learn more about her.

When she got her first iMac I was often over her place, playing "Good Software Fairy" or just showing her how to use the software she already had. Other times I was just plain hanging out. We'd geek over food, jewelry, religion, music, and commonalities in our childhoods. I learned a lot from Cindy about a lot of things.

A few months ago I shared one of my favorite Cindy stories with the folks in my comedy class, and one of the guys modified it for his own act.

Cindy was riding her scooter down the sidewalk not far from her house in (at the time) Berkeley when some obnoxious woman approached her. "Do you realize you're morbidly obese?"

Without missing a beat, Cindy looked down at her body, then looked up at the woman. "Why no! I had no idea! Why thank you!"

Feel free to share your own Cindy stories here. I'll collect them up and forward them to Dr. James.

Comments

[shadowsalterego.livejournal.com]

I never got to meet her--but the news of her passing was like a punch to the stomach. I know her only through her music, and I, unfortunately, don't have very much of that. I agree that it's like another family member has passed--I didn't realize how strong the common bonds of music were until last night when I found out she was gone. The world as a whole has truly lost something beautiful. I miss her dearly, and, as I said, I've never even met her. I can only imagine what a huge loss this must be to her family and friends, who have my heartfelt condolences.

As we say every year at Samhain, what is remembered, lives.