"Glenn Was Here"
Glenn Emanuel's remembrance ceremony was yesterday at the gazebo in Libbey Park. When i arrived at a few minutes before 4pm, there were but a handful of people gathered, most of whom were busily setting up easels of pictures and arranging chairs and sound equipment. within minutes, the gathering swelled to a strong crowd that read like a who's-who of the Ojai Valley...i saw Sid and Sheila Cohn, the Al-Awars, Jim Calire, John Azevedo, Noel Douglas, Peggy La Cerra, and dozens of other very familiar faces that i personally dont even have names for.
we opened with music and prayer, and elegant and heartfelt stories and reflections were shared by friends and family. as seems to be so often the case with those who leave us, these served to describe a person whom it feels beautiful to remember, but - as my wife observed as we solemnly left - whom we wish we'd known better while he was here. it's clear that Glenn loved us all, and that we all loved him no matter how large or small our piece of his experience.
i believe that Cheri Mason-Emanuel's son said it best when he introspected that Glenn never seemed sad...always happy. and so it hardly feels appropriate to be sad that he's gone; we can only be happy that he was here.
"Glenn was here", etched with care into the picnic tables of our minds and hearts. Ojai - and the world - are better for it.
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Comments (10)
Remembering Glenn, whenever I talked to him about what
issue I was currently involved with, he knew about it
before it escaped my lips- but he was always in a hurry
to get to the Playhouse where he was bringing in the
next excellent progressive film that showed at the
Sunday series. Glenn had a inner lamp lit for that
which was good and just and represented the best in
community involvement that registers a differnce.
Comment #1 Posted by: pete lafollette | July 30, 2007 09:31 AM
I was there when "Glenn Was Here." Evan, I didn't see you there and I thought maybe your baby was here. Then you would have been there with your wife and the baby would have been here and Glenn everywhere.
Comment #2 Posted by: Dennis Leary | July 30, 2007 12:01 PM
i saw you only from a distance, Dennis...otherwise i of course would have said 'hello'. Jessie and the baby were there too, though still sharing Jessie's body.
i just remembered a story that was told yesterday, and the encouragement that came with it: in the last days of his life, surrounded by family and friends and with awareness of the benefit concerts and other efforts being made on his behalf, Glenn was asked whether he knew how much he was loved in our community. his answer: "i wish i had known sooner."
our opportunity now is clear...to make sure that those around us know how much we love and appreciate them. i suggest beginning simply: with complete strangers. then move on to something more challenging: our friends. finally, we learn to express our gratitude to the most difficult ones: our families.
Comment #3 Posted by: evan | July 30, 2007 12:20 PM
My daughter Vera Long and I were there, too. We figured Glenn was sending mischevious messages when the PA system went down and a picture kept falling off its easel. He always told us to be in the present moment and celebrate the unexpected. The last time I talked to him at Movinos one evening, he was consoling me in a hoarse whisper about the death of my husband and about letting go. I can just see him cruisin' through rainbow bridge, and hear him talking string theory with Vera. We cried, yes, but had to smile as well. We will be making a kite in his memory, because physics and joy are involved.
Comment #4 Posted by: caroline fedotowsky | July 30, 2007 01:48 PM
How inappropriate for Ms.Davis to publish in(her profile picture) of her breast feeding her baby. I urge the owner of this blog to please disgard that picture. We in Ojai still believe in respect.
Concerned mother,
Claire Kennedy
Comment #5 Posted by: Claire Kennedy | July 30, 2007 03:51 PM
Hello Concerned Claire -
There is NOTHING inappropriate about the picture, no inappropriate body part exposed, nothing except a mom and her baby.
Why do you keep saying "we in Ojai"? You don't speak for Ojai, and neither do I. But I will bet anything that if you took a poll, the people who would not have a problem in the slightest with that photo would VASTLY outnumber the people who would be offended.
So in answer to your request, I won't "disgard" anything, whatever that means.
And regarding the belief in respect, why don't YOU respect MY Constitutional First Amendment rights to host a blog that contributes to the Ojai community in a positive, constructive way. If YOU don't like it, I respect your ability to avoid this site and stick to foxnews.com and anncoulter.com
Comment #6 Posted by: Tyler | July 30, 2007 04:44 PM
And let me further add, Claire, how inappropriate it is for you to leave a comment like that on a thread that should be commemorating the life of Glenn Emanuel. I apologize to the family from distracting the audience from the topic at hand. Next time, Claire, leave it on an Open Thread.
Comment #7 Posted by: Tyler | July 30, 2007 04:48 PM
My apology's for blogging on that thread. No disrespect was intentional towards Glenn's family. If they looked at my post ,they would know I meant no harm. Further more, that picture is disrespectful and there is a time and place for "Breast feeding", i.e.;the powder room , spare bedroom or your vehicle. When my children were infants I upheld my commitment to modesty and respect.
Comment #8 Posted by: Claire Kennedy | July 30, 2007 04:59 PM
I think thats a delightful idea . Design a poll for your blog on breast feeding Public or Private ?
Comment #9 Posted by: Claire Kennedy | July 30, 2007 05:04 PM
I don't wish to be disrespectful of Clair's view, but I can assure you that if Glenn were here, he'd find these comments on the motherly art of breast feeding, smack in the middle of these tributes about his life, most amusing! In fact, I can hear him laughing now!
Comment #10 Posted by: Suza | August 1, 2007 09:49 PM