Tag Archives: Miss Cleo

Too Gentle for This World

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Rest in peace, Morgan W. Brown.

The housing advocate and fixture of Montpelier life has died after, as they say, a long battle with cancer. Word of his death was posted yesterday on Facebook by fellow advocate Brenda Siegel.

Before proceeding, a necessary acknowledgement: I’m far from the best person to memorialize Morgan. I knew him indirectly from his advocacy work and his Green Mountain Meandering Missives blog, plus that one time I had a cup of coffee with him. That was in the early stages of his illness, and I never sought another meeting because it seemed an imposition on an acquaintance with limited time remaining. But I have thoughts on his passing. Think of this is one pebble in the pond, not the final word on anything Morgan.

The above Muppetization of him and his beloved companion Miss Cleo adorns his YouTube channel, but it seems appropriate here because Morgan was a gentle soul who seemed to have been born on the wrong planet. He needed and deserved a more welcoming environment. Our world is a little colder without him.

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On Impermanence

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My customary nattering about the vagaries of Vermont politics or who’s doing what to whom at the Statehouse has been sidelined by two real-life intrusions into this thought space. One is of tremendous consequence only to our household; the other is worth reporting to the greater #vtpoli community.

The second one first. I hadn’t been hearing much lately from Morgan W. Brown, a Montpelier resident and fellow blogger (“Green Mountain Meandering Missives“) who spent years experiencing homelessness and writes eloquently from the inimitable viewpoint acquired from what they call “lived experience.”

I knew Morgan had been hospitalized for a while. I consider myself an acquaintance of his, not really a friend, and I didn’t want to bother him with inquiries from someone in a better position to be curious than helpful.

That changed Monday morning when Morgan took to his blog for the first time since early November with a piece entitled “Medical Update,” where he revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer that may or may not be treatable. (I hope he doesn’t mind me giving away the conclusion of his post. That collection of tags was simply brilliant.)

I don’t know Morgan well, but I respect him, and my heart sank when I read of his diagnosis.

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