Here's a report on the memorial for Flint.
Wreck List came together to mourn our guildmate Flintpaw, in real life Scott Hinkley, this past Saturday evening. The spot was the Shrine of Fellowship, on a narrow mountain in the Jade Forest, in Pandaria, a zone in WOW that Flint loved and spent his last months in game playing in. We gathered in a small plaza area, between 35 and 40 of us, and, led by our guild leader Dkosmama, walked in silence over a lovely arched bridge to a stone circle where mists swirled and Pandaria was laid out in panoramic view before us. We knelt at the circle, and after a moment of contemplation, Dkosmama spoke of her memories of Flint, especially of their shared passion for great teaching. Pamena, Baelzebabe (who had renewed his WOW subscription just to be there for Flint), Rubidium, Mageartin, Tvath and others spoke of their memories of Flint, and of our shared grief at losing him. Baelz spoke of his own recent loss of his father to cancer, just a few weeks before Scott died, offering his father's admonition in his last months that we should tell the people we love that we do love them, every chance we get, as you can't know when you might not have a chance to tell them again. Rubidium spoke of the special in game healer to tank bond he had with Flint, and of the real community and relationships we form with each other in our virtual world. Many others spoke of their own experiences in game with Flint, and of what a wonderful and good man he was. Tears were shed, voices cracked in vent as we remembered Flint as a wonderful player, as a great and funny companion in raids and dungeons, as the voice in vent we all most wanted to listen to, and as a father who couldn't wait to tell us the latest about his young daughter, who he loved with all his heart. After everyone had spoken, we flew off in silence, remembering Flint and honoring his heart - and cursing the disease that took him far too young. We miss you Flint. Be at peace now.
People who don't play our game or other MMO's may have a hard time understanding how a group of people who for the most part have never met each other in real life, and who had not ever seen Scott in real life, could feel so sad and bereft at his passing. Wreck List is a special guild, based on not in game activities but rather on a shared political outlook and a passion for progressive action. But I don't think we're alone in WOW in having a guild community made up of people who may not know what we each look like in the flesh, but who are very real and important to each other, in and out of game. Over the 4 1/2 years of the Wreck List's existence, we have come together to help those of us in trouble in real life in many different ways. We care about each other, and we have each other's backs, in game and in life.
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