Interesting (sad?) Visitor Message at MC

[CP173]

Steve,

I know Kristina, but lost touch with her after Todd passed away. There are some very good homes for those items that she has, including the family museum. It would be a tragedy for her to actually burn those items.

Would you ask her to contact me? You can share my e-mail address or phone number with her.

Thanks!

[Steve DeGaetano]

Sure, Michael.

[Locoboy5150]

That's not very nice. Not everyone has people to give things to.

I sincerely apologize if you were offended by my thoughts Roy as that was certainly not my intent at all.

My perspective is that of a classic car enthusiast and owner who has, unfortunately, all too often seen vehicles adored by their late owners left to people that were not as well versed in their history and/or value and thus destroyed them from neglect. It happens though.

As Steve suggested, charities will always accept donations.

[Locoboy5150]

I also should mention that though only the widow knows the true meaning of her letters, they did have a somewhat sinister tone to them. At least that's how I read it. Only she knows what was going through her mind though as they were typed.

...just my 100% outsider's observation from this side of the monitor.

[Maurie S]

I believe that anger is one of the steps in grieving. Maybe that is what is happening here.

Maurie

[Castor Oil]

Sadly, there's a fairly well-known local "historian" who I and others fear may someday do the same. Relatively little of his priceless collection has ever seen public view, and all indications seem to suggest his emotional state might sooner dictate a fate in flames rather than allow for it to reach the proper repository. At the moment, I've been told all is currently willed to a certain university, which has little use for it and (rather ironically) would most likely deaccession it in short order to the rightful institution this individual spitefully snubbed. Likely ending? Karma: 1, vindictive collector: 0.

His stuff? Yes. His right? Sure. His history? No. A true historian is a steward, not a scrooge. Call me ignorant, but I could never understand the obsession with hoarding this stuff. Yes, it's nice when someone simply saves something, but I can't see what pride one could possibly take in preserving the past without sharing it—and instead chooses to keep it selfishly to oneself. This delusional attitude that keeping history "exclusive" somehow makes it more valuable ultimately renders it less relevant, and those who believe otherwise may prove to be doing more harm than good when generations down the road couldn't care less because the collective brain trust was pigeonholed among the "old boys club."