Ship of Fools: From one of the newer shipmates

Thread: From one of the newer shipmates Board: Erin / Ship of Fools.

To visit this thread, use this URL:
http://forum.ship-of-fools.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=79;t=000017

Posted by Try (# 4951) on :

I am sorry to say that I never got to know Erin personally. I never lived near her, and was never able to make it to a shipmeet. I joined the ship in the early '00s, and I always thought that she was a hilarious and thoughtful presence. She will be missed.

Posted by Janine (# 3337) on :

The first thing I thought when I saw your OP was that this should be a thread 'specially for Old Hands to try to explain The Erin Era to wide-eyed newer Shipmates.

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :

you've been aboard longer than me!

Posted by jlg (# 98) on :

No one ever met Erin in person. She made a point of not ever attending a shipmeet.

I have a vague memory of her saying (it was probably a chat in the Cafe way back when - I was trying to get her to come to a Colorado shipmeet) that she wouldn't be able to do her job as Community Editor if she actually knew shipmates face-to-face.

Considering all the kind things she did for so many shipmates, that stray comment has stuck with me.

She needed to keep a bit of distance to do her job as she saw it and it seems she worked hard to maintain that distinction between "Erin the #2 Official and 'Gator Enforcer" and the many links she made with shipmates behind the scenes.

Posted by Lynn MagdalenCollege (# 10651) on :

quote:
Originally posted by jlg:
...I was trying to get her to come to a Colorado shipmeet) that she wouldn't be able to do her job as Community Editor if she actually knew shipmates face-to-face...

thanks for sharing this - it provides some more insight into a brilliant and complex woman.

Posted by Spike (# 36) on :

quote:
Originally posted by jlg:
No one ever met Erin in person. She made a point of not ever attending a shipmeet.

Until a couple of days ago, none of us even knew what she looked like.

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

We're an ugly lot. With her being so beautiful an' all, the shock would have been too great.

How many of us eagerly clicked on her picture when the gallery was first set up - and then laughed our socks off when we saw she'd tricked us again!

Posted by morningstar (# 15860) on :

Any newer shipmates who, like myself, have had the privilege of reading through the reactions of, and emotions expressed by, those of longer standing should by now have a fair idea of how much Erin meant to shipmates, the Ship, and why; and also have an inkling of Erin's Gator qualities which have stood the Ship in such good stead.

It has been other Shipmates' contributions to this thread that have made accessible those bits of the Ship's history of which we newbies have not been part. They have made that history vivid.
I for one, have felt more part of this community since Erin's death because I can now understand and share in some of its history and culture.

Posted by morningstar (# 15860) on :

quote:
Originally posted by morningstar:
Any newer shipmates who, like myself, have had the privilege of reading through the reactions of, and emotions expressed by, those of longer standing should by now have a fair idea of how much Erin meant to shipmates, the Ship, and why; and also have an inkling of Erin's Gator qualities which have stood the Ship in such good stead.

It has been other Shipmates' contributions to this board that have made accessible those bits of the Ship's history of which we newbies have not been part. They have made that history vivid.
I for one, have felt more part of this community since Erin's death because I can now understand and share in some of its history and culture.

Posted by eremite (# 4529) on :

My interaction with the Ship has always been in fits and starts, and none of it lasting longer than a couple weeks of lurking, punctuated, maybe, by a couple posts. Today begins another fitted start - with a kick in the stomach.

One of the constants here, to me, has always been the trembling thrill of fear and relief whenever I saw that grinning crocodile in a post. Fear of the lashing that was about to be unleashed, relief that it wasn't aimed at me. Although, now, I wish it had been, at least once.

Sounds trite to say "she'll be missed." But *I'll* miss her, and I never even interacted with her.

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Chorister:

How many of us eagerly clicked on her picture when the gallery was first set up - and then laughed our socks off when we saw she'd tricked us again!

Zappa furtively raises hand ... [Tear]

UBB.classic^TM 6.5.0