Death of Crystal Heart

[burrahobbit]

That lieu is exactly why this is the most hilarious thing I've seen all day.

[Lindolirian]

Morrie had the fantastic idea to have a funeral while you were alive, so that you could actually hear and appreciate the wonderful things people had to say about you. While this was indeed a cruel joke, playing with the emotions of strangers around the world, many people here said some very nice things about Crystal Heart which probably never would have been said outright, and it must be very heart-warming to hear them all. Shoot, I wish I had a thread dedicated to saying nice things about me. See? Even something as mean as a joke like that can turn out good.

He that attempteth this shall prove but mine instrument in the devising of things more wonderful, which he himself hath not imagined.

Glad to to know you're really alive, Crystal.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Update -

This thread will remain intact for a few weeks to make sure everyone understands the original note was a joke and that Crystal is thankfully alive and well.

A side observation.... A good lesson to take away from all this is the need to show caution when dealing with the net and people you meet through the net. What appears to be true about an individual, what is said in the context of a website, may or may not be reality. When I first posted this thread, I had no idea anyone was playing a "joke". In this case, while guidelines on Shire rpgs were broken, no one was seriously inconvenienced or hurt so we have little to regret. No one should feel badly that they took time to post their feelings and greetings when they thought a family was hurting.

Still, there are situations where much more can be at stake. The friendships and contacts we make at the Downs and on other sites are indeed precious as long as we use common sense in how we approach net safety.

Child, Shire Moderator

[Lush]

Aww, and I went to all that trouble of putting a touching quotation up! Dammit!... I mean... It's good to have Crystal back in the world of the living (sort of. Since this is the Barrowdowns and everything).

I guess Mark Twain sums it up best:
"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

(I can only hope that everyone says nice things about me on here if I decide to kick the bucket )

[Evisse the Blue]

I'm sorry, but I find this very funny...in fact, until I remember a better one, this certainly takes the cake for the funniest event I've had happen here on the Downs...Yes I have a weird sense of humour (like Crystal's sister, apparently ). And seeing that Mark Twain quote posted by Lush really made me crack up.

Crystal, you shouldn't have been so quick to sort this out, you should have allowed us to praise you a little longer.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Evisse

I'm sorry, but I find this very funny...

I have a pretty broad sense of humour but I fail to see any humour in this situation. Indeed I personally find what has been done here to be cruel and callous. To make people think that someone is dead, particularly someone so young, and that their family is grieving not a nice thing to do and is not something either to feel proud of or to be encouraged. It upsets people unnecessarily and has the capacity to make people foolish for having believed it. Although, as far as I am concerned, there is no shame in having fallen for this silly trick. There are few who would not have done.

I wouldn't mind if this sham had at least been clever. But there is no skill in duping people into believing that someone is dead, particularly on the internet where no acting skills are required - simply a suitably worded message. You would have to be pretty hard-nosed and cynical not to have believed it. So where's the cleverness in that?

Ultimately, all it has done is caused unnecessary distress and gained Crystal Heart some praise. Whether it is deserved or not, I do not know. But, whether or not she is innocent in the affair, the circumstances in which this praise has been gained are hardly respectable.

Originally Posted by Child of the 7th Age

A side observation.... A good lesson to take away from all this is the need to show caution when dealing with the net and people you meet through the net. What appears to be true about an individual, what is said in the context of a website, may or may not be reality.

I would endorse Child's comments here. To my mind, this lesson is the only valuable thing that we can draw from this sorry affair.

[Nurumaiel]

I do think, regardless of whether the whole situation is looked up as funny or as a cruel joke, and whether we can throw back our heads and laugh or feel rather indignant that our hearts have been played with in such a callous fashion, the most important thing is that Crystal Heart is not dead. To say the least, it wasn't a very considerate thing of her sister to do, telling us that she was dead, but isn't it preferable that her sister do something so cruel, rather than actually have what she said be the truth? I know I'm much happier to know that it was a 'joke' and I made myself look rather silly by posting here with my condolences, than to have my words be appropriate for the situation and find Crystal Heart, in reality, dead. I prefer that her sister played such a 'joke,' rather than the rest of her family actually suffering because their young daughter was dead (though, naturally, I would have preferred that Crystal Heart never 'died' in the first place).

I feel indignant that such a cruel 'joke,' could be played, and I, like a few others, find absolutely no humour in that situation. I was deeply grieved at the news of Crystal's 'death,' and many here were better acquainted with her than I was. I can only imagine how they must have felt. I think it's stating it mildly to say that the joke was in very bad taste.

I can find something to laugh about in the fact that I made myself slightly foolish by posting my regrets, for it's either laugh about that or hide in a dark hole, cringing with embarrassment. As Mr. Saucepan said, it's not ridiculous of us to fall for it, but I feel slightly ridiculous all the same... and I choose to laugh at myself (though I cannot and will not laugh at the instance which gave me cause to laugh at myself).

But over all other feelings, I experience one of deep relief that Crystal isn't dead, and that we have her, and more importantly her family has her, for some time yet. And I think that is very proper.

[mark12_30]

Both the possibility and the certainty of death can and should inspire us to more fully live life. Death is not so far off as we would all like to think. And sometimes when it knocks at our door-- even as a misunderstanding or as an ill-turned jest-- we can allow the thought of death to positively change and inspire us so that we live life more fully. We see this in LOTR, and find it quite inspiring when impending death inspires a character to great and courageous deeds:

‘Of course, it is likely enough, my friends,’ [Treebeard] said slowly, ‘likely enough that we are going to our doom: the last march of the Ents. But if we stayed at home and did nothing, doom would find us anyway, sooner or later.

‘My body is broken. I go to my fathers. And even in their mighty company I shall not now be ashamed. I felled the black serpent. A grim morn, and a glad day, and a golden sunset!’

Then suddenly he beheld his sister Éowyn as she lay, and he knew her. .... A fey mood took him.... Over the field rang his clear voice calling: ‘Death! Ride, ride to ruin and the world’s ending!’

‘So that was the job I felt I had to do when I started,’ thought Sam: ‘to help Mr. Frodo to the last step and then die with him? Well, if that is the job then I must do it.'

The essence of these quotes seems to me to be this: If my time is limited, then I should spend it aright, doing my duty, doing that which is good.

But whether short or long, our time is still limited; nor do we know when we will meet our end. Shall we not then spend each day as well, as nobly and as dutifully as if it were our last? If we do so, then at the end, we may look back and see that each day was truly well-spent.