Firefly

There were so many great moments at the Flanvention, planned and impromptu as I’m sure will be posted and read about in the coming weeks.

Well I guess the most special moment for me was when Greg Edmonson popped in on the BDH’s autographing session just to visit the crew. He didn’t come in announced and I’m sure many of the planners and even cast members were caught off guard by the sudden appearence. I had just recieved an auto from Nathan, when he excused himself from autographing to greet Edmonson (Nathan was the next to last in the ’auto’ assembly line, with Adam Baldwin being last) effectively holding hundreds of fans in the lurch. I was privy to the ensuing conversation just a few feet away. It was perfect timing and quite rare serendipity for me!

Anyhow I was very touched about what I heard. Nathan apparently had never met Edmonson before and was quite eager to share with him how touched by his music he was. Both made comments heard in public before, but it was the first time they’ve actualy said them to each other directly.

As we all know by now Nathan can be quite a ham, and one honestly begins to wonder if the man can ever have a sincere moment...Well Nathan suddenly assumed an air of solemn sincerity that was well, almost ’Mal-like.’ What was really interesting was how Nathan and Edmonson seemed to be talking over each other with things they seemed very long eager to unburden.

Nathan was trying to tell Edmonson how moved he was by the music composed for ’Out of Gas,’ while at the very same time Edmonson babbled about how he was trying to say goodbye to the crew with his score to ’The Message.’ But what really struck me was just how much of fan Edmonson seemed to be right then...Edmonson was just needing to express (like any crazed Flan in the room) just how much he himself was moved and needed to express in any way possible his love for the ’Verse...and in so doing somehow hoping to claim a stake in it for himself. No matter how quixotic that love can be for the fans, it didn’t seem necessary for Edmonson, who is so much a part of the Fire Fly cannon as any of our BDH’s. Nathan was clearly moved by Edmonson’s passion at that moment, and Nathan came through like a mench by announcing to the distracted crowd Edmonson’s presence and thus drawing an applause. Nathan complemented him again but apologized as he had to get back to autographing. Then I saw Nathan pat the sagely old composer on the shoulder the same gentle sweet way ’Mal’ used to only do for Serenity on Firefly.

Perhaps I have an over active imagination I don’t know...but I couldn’t help nonetheless sense a tacit hurt in Edmonson’s demeaner.

If there was, it could be through no fault of anyone in the room...and as such no bitterness was conveyed. But perhaps a creative decision made by someone else...somewhere else a while ago and now unspoken...lead to a choice and a sentiment to exclude this man from Serenity..which still casts a long shadow over him. And here he was now, trying to emerge from that shadow, looking to find if he in some way still belonged. If this was true, it was but a whisper in the wind. But I think Nathan sensed a little of it, and was very kind.

Not wanting to leave anything to chance, I got my last auto from Adam and immeadiately went up to Edmonson. Several fans where already engaging him, and I think he’d signed a couple of CD’s. I wanted and did nothing more but tell him "I am a big fan of your work and that as far as I am concerned...you are the 10th member of the crew." Edmonson’s reaction was worth everything. He put a hand up to his chest and said, "You may not know it, but that means so much to me, so much." I said, "Well I mean it." And I did. He said "Thank you so much. Thank you."

Later that evening I bumped into two fans who spoke to Edmonson after our exchange. They told me I made his day. I just hope he truly understands how much he means to FireFly. And I hope the fans can continue to let him know.