The Collector

Everyone knew her as The Collector.  Marty  was a collector of people, you see.  Not just any people, they had to give her something in order to be a part of her collection.  She never accepted anyone pretentious, arrogant, bigoted, or ignorant, because those people had nothing to give.  Marty's collection was made of artists, scientist, teachers, musicians, writers, homeless; plain ordinary folks who had the curiosity and the intelligence to ask questions and ponder situations.  Those who could teach Marty, give her their wisdom, be a part of her growth.  Those are the people Marty wanted in her collection.  This is the payment received by Marty.

In turn, Marty gave her people unconditional love and undying loyalty of her lifetime.  Her commitment to always listen, always be there for them, always answer any question with absolute honesty as she believed it to be.

There were a few throughout her life who didn't care for her honesty, so they went by the wayside.  Marty didn't care.  She was as loyal to herself and her principles as she was to those she collected.  Marty took her time collecting the special ones, those in her collection.  She observed behavior, comparing the words people spoke with the actions exhibited.  If there was a conflict in the two, no matter how much she liked that person, they were out.  Door closed.

That's not to say Marty was unfriendly by any means.  No, she was pleasant to everyone no matter what, but only the few were in the collection.

I have been privileged to be a part of Marty's collection for the past fifty years.  I have given and taken wisdom just as Marty demanded.  She died yesterday, exactly the way she wanted.

A young man who was sick of his life, took a gun to the grocery store where he randomly shot and killed ten people.  Marty was one of them.  She always said that was the way she wanted to die, murdered by a gun in the hands of an angry youth, in a parking lot.  He probably would have been in her collection, had they been able to talk.  Marty appreciated anger at the status quo.

You will be missed, Marty.  The one thing we who were collected know without a doubt, is by you we were well loved.