linkage: It's so wonderful to have you here at NetRoots Nation, sharing your story of the quilt. Can you identify yourself for us?
Dave in Northridge: Yes, I'm Dave in Northridge. My partner and husband Jim died suddenly on December 5th, and I wrote my first notice of that: "Widower after 41 years. What now?" Between when the police left and the mortuary came, and yes, I was perfectly happy to have the community to share this with immediately because...just because.
linkage: Dave, what does this quilt mean to you?
Dave in Northridge: This quilt demonstrates exactly what kind of a community Daily Kos is. It shows that we not only blog with each other, we not only discuss politics with each other, we not only communicate with each other on that level, but that we are really a very deep, committed community that is perfectly happy to share all kinds of life experiences with each other. And I think it's just a wonderful thing.
linkage: This community's been a great support.
Dave in Northridge: It has.
linkage: How did you find this community?
Dave in Northridge: I honestly don't remember. I know I registered in 2006 because I needed to make a comment about something. And frankly, I lurked until summer of 2011 when it seemed there were no other progressive blogs or places like that that really satisfied me with anything that I wanted to do. And I wanted to start telling some of my stories to other people. And lo and behold, within my 10th diary, I got a reaction that has me diarying on an almost daily basis for Daily Kos at this point.
linkage: Can you talk about your quilt and what the quilt means to you?
Dave in Northridge: Oh, man. You know, the quilt process started within two days, as I understood. I contacted the quilt ladies and said, you know, we really should do something like this, and within two weeks, the quilt diary was up. I looked at it and I said, "I should probably comment on this," but I thought it was sort of like applauding for yourself, but I managed to overcome that and thanked everybody for all the support that they were giving me. When this came, I probably spent two days looking at it and reading all the messages and being comforted and probably crying a few times and just, you know, wonderful stuff.
linkage: Would you like to read one or two of the messages?
Dave in Northridge: Yeah. I'll do these two because they're so wonderfully different and wonderfully etc. Puddytat, who does all that wonderful blogging about Wisconsin wrote: "May your grief be replaced by the memories of the love and time you had together. Remember, you are surrounded by friends who love you." And really, that is what this whole thing is about.
And I actually made a comment in one of my diaries that JwinIL14, who is a frequent visitor to Top Comments, for which I also blog, essentially made the best entry on my quilt, I think, for a general humorous thing. He...he or she, I'm not sure yet, wrote: "This patchwork of loving friends has operating instructions: 1) Carefully unwrap contents from box. 2) Wrap up snugly in box contents. 3) Absorb the peace & content. 4) Stay in touch with us all. 5) Eating is good too ;-)" And this was just so perfect, you know?
linkage: So the community connection is important to you. Do you have support in your home town?
Dave in Northridge: Not to the extent that I have from my community, from this community, no. You know, I almost hate to go there, but often during this season of RuPaul's Drag Race, she said, "You know, we're gay; we make our own families." Well, I've pretty much had to make my own family during this, and the people...many of the people of Daily Kos have become the family that I was trying to construct, so very important, yes.
linkage: Can you hold up the quilt and show us the back and the front? It's quite a colorful quilt.
Dave in Northridge: It's wonderful. I had a nice conversation with Sara and Ann, and they wanted to know what I liked, and I said, "Art Nouveau, and I like Fall colors." And here we are in sort of art nouveau with definite Fall colors. And the quilt itself looks like this with the backing, and then the comments people made in the diary about the quilt, written out on batting that could be patched into the quilt as part of the quilt. And it's a beautiful thing.
linkage: Is there anybody you'd like to thank in the community?
Dave in Northridge: I'd like to thank the community. I'd especially like to thank Sara and Ann for all the amazing work that they do on these quilts when people like me need them.
linkage: Well, thank you very much for sharing your quilt with us.
Dave in Northridge: You're absolutely welcome.
