I lost my beloved Nancy Sept. 6. A resident of Martinez since 1980, she loved this town. She was an individual of wide-ranging talents, an acute intellect and a big heart, contributed much to her adopted home and received much love in return. Others might wish to enumerate all of this. All I can do is express what I feel.
Some might know we met at Burning Man in 2007. I hadn’t yet told her I was contemplating our return to the Black Rock Desert in 2017 to celebrate 10 years together. Perhaps I’ll take her back anyway to commit part of her ashes to the temple they will burn at the end. From dust to ashes and back to dust. …
Once upon a time there was a radiant red head that came out of the dust of the Black Rock Desert and sparkled before my eyes. At first we were cautious, but there was no avoiding love at first sight. Precautions were abandoned. Advice ignored. Stuff happened in spite of ourselves.
There were dazed moments at first as we began to merge our lives. What?! How did we get here? Then we went, “Oh well, onward!”
To travel and adventure and entangled passions for life, love, compassion and companions. Let’s see the country, explore the world, taste, touch and smell it all!
We did all of that. And when at home we relished friends, family, revelry, music, food, comfort and laughter.
Then something went terribly wrong. Nancy’s spirit left, and her body followed. The silence is awful. The shock and sorrow of others is palpable and stunning. My grief is consuming.
It’s over. The sparkle is extinguished. What does that mean? How can it be? What kind of world is left behind without her? All I can do is shake my head and cry.
– Guy Cooper