Posted by Carla Burg Bates on May 11, 2001 at 15:40:05 from 208.59.249.9 :
I always thought of Ed like a father. I was so fortunate to have spent a lot of my childhood with Ed at 124 Jewett Parkway. I have so many wounderful memories of those times spent with Ed and all the colorful people who wandered in and out of 124 over the years. I could never completly express the thankfullness I feel, because I knew Ed, because he and that house shaped my life. Ed was not what you would call a "typical father". He was more than that. He was a teacher, one who wanted you to find yourself, not make you into what he wanted you to be. I still hear that inevitable question, "Why?" Even at a young age of six I was asked, "Why?" Because was not an answer. I had to learn at a young age how to evaluate my choices and my feelings weather they were for music, food , books, and yes politics. I learned feelings were never wrong. These things that I discovered for myself, are what made the search worthwhile. Trips to Zoar Valley Some of these things might seem small, but sometimes it's the simple things that ment the most. All my love and peace forever.
Ed always said I was a creative person. Even when my art was just scribble, he still proudly hung it in his office. He always encouraged me to do what I love. When I graduated from high school and decided to go to a technical school for photography, he bought my first professional format camera to start me on my new path. I still happily do photographic work, and thank him for helping me to find my form of self-expression.
I also look back fondly on our trips to Washington, D.C. He took me to see the AIDS quilt, march in demonstrations, meet the people with a cause, (whether they lived in the streets or just belived in a cause) and just the workings of our goverment. It opened my eyes to see how the government works and there is somthing one person can do to change the world. If you belive in somthing, fight for it.
He was a remarkable man in many ways. I might not have known all there is to know about him, but I am honored to have spent as much quality time as I did with him. My only regret is that we drifted apart these past ten years, and that I didn't have a chance to tell him myself how much he meant to me, how much I loved him, and how much I appreciate all he did for me. If his death has taught me anything, it's to remember the past, know who you are, know who you want to be, and stop making excuses. And, most importantly, stay close to the ones you love. He will always have a place in my heart...
Some of my fondest memories:
Shakespeer in the Park
Patiently teaching me how to swim
Bike rides to the park, to the campus, or just to the grocery store
Grilled cheese sandwiches and a sundae at Parkside Candys
Dropping me off for summer camp
All those books
Wals to the park, The Zoo, even just Wilson Farms
Picking out fabric and taking it to the seamstress
His teapot collection
The weirdest food he cooked on that wounderful old stove
And of course the many talks on the back porch