|
15 minutes with Tim! How do you possibly pass through San Francisco without stopping on a gorgeous Friday in October? You can't, if you're an out-of-towner from Texas.  If you talk yourself into spending just 1 hour in this glorious city, how do you limit yourself? You pay a 1-hour meter on Market Street and imagine the annoyance of fines and towing. And then how do you spend that precious hour? You spend 1 quarter of that time with a stranger named Tim. One Hour Meter It was 11 a.m. when my husband found an open space. We paid the meter and raced across Market towards the bustling area in front of the Ferry Building. We assumed the perfect weather had drawn crowds, but then noticed tents...then posters and a few chanting voices.  It was Occupy San Francisco! We had expected to see some street vendors and maybe some musicians in the area, but never thought we would be spending an hour in San Francisco experiencing the movement we had only seen on TV up to this point. One Question "Have you heard about the Occupy movement?" Those were the words Tim approached us with. Don and I are usually pretty open to this kind of conversing, but I could hear my watch ticking. I had a camera and I didn't want to waste too much time chatting. But here was this articulate, young man approaching us with a welcoming smile. Even though he possibly needed money, he made it clear that he was not looking for any, he was just out there supporting the movement by talking with people.  In our 15 minutes of chatting we learned of Tim's personal frustration with the healthcare system when he was the victim of a hit and run incident...and learned just how helpless the poor can be. But not once was there a flavor of negativity in Tim's voice. Unlike angry protesters shown on TV, he showed a great deal of hope, assuring us that both sides would come together to work towards reform. He spoke about the police he'd spoken with over the past few days. He knew how difficult their job was dealing with these crowds. A few days earlier Tim said he'd been reminded that everyone involved in this movement is human... when he watched a policeman tearing up while listening to the moving speech of a protester. Tim headed off to talk to others... And Don and I walked over to the water and soaked up a few heavenly moments...  before grabbing sandwiches from a food cart to eat in the car. Thanks Tim! You made me aware of how many different kinds of people are in involved in making change happen. There are angry people and frustrated people. Thoughtful people and hopeful people, like you.  I'll think back to this movement in future years and remember how Don and I chatted with you on a beautiful October morning. I already wonder what you're up to now. I imagine you'll do good things in the future with your positive attitude.
0 Comments
Spring of 1999 I was on a bridge in Paris, when this little face caught my eye!  Picture perfect!
First trip to Paris! I was in Paris for the first time, after wishing on birthday candles since I was about 5!  I was finally in this beautiful city, but I was wandering alone. I had tagged along on my husband's business trip, so I was exploring with my camera. A Little Intimidated First I spotted the serious looking nanny, pushing a ritzy pram across the bridge. What a perfect snapshot. But taking pictures of strangers is sort of rude anywhere, especially in France.  But when I passed this sweet baby in her striped hat and sweater, I couldn't help myself. I paused and managed to express my delight with what few words I knew in French.
To my surprise, the Nanny was as eager to share this darling child and encouraged me with my camera. With my non-digital Canon, I snapped only one shot. I lucked out and captured the baby's giddy laugh. If only I had snapped one more, I could have captured the Nanny's grin that followed, a split second after my camera clicked. When Nanny turned to me and gasped with delight, her face was as bright as the child's.. We both shared a sweet moment, acknowledging how perfectly the baby laughed, when the camera clicked. So, thank you Nanny! It was the baby I had on focused first, but you are the one who impressed me. You made my first encounter with a French person, relaxed and comfortable. You didn't roll your eyes or frown, like the cartoon images some Americans still have of the French. You gave me a good snapshot memory of a kind stranger from a foreign land. Stranger, Then Friend Freeman is on the top of my list of strangers, even though he wasn't a stranger for long. This list is really about people I have met and never seen again. But I have to make an exception, here.  My encounter with Freeman in 1977 is an example of how you can strike up a conversation with someone you don't know and it can turn into a friendship...even when that someone is 4 times as old as you! Freeman at Home I met Freeman when I was with fellow college students, in a small-town cafe in the Missouri Ozarks. We struck up a conversation and he bragged about his cattle. Next thing you know, I was milking one of his cows. (An accomplishment that had been on my bucket list!)  After that initial visit to Freeman's farm I visited him many times. He always whipped up noon "dinner" on his 585-pound wood burning stove. Spinach, okra and poke greens from his garden...biscuits with homemade jellies and freshly churned butter...and cow's milk! Acting His Age? Freeman was 79 and I was 19, when we met. I wasn't used to having much in common with someone of another generation. But I observed and I was in awe of what a man his age could accomplish. What was even more surprising to me, was how Freeman spoke, when he got past his funny stories and began to reflect on the past.  I felt like I was talking to a peer. He talked about the strength of his wife who had died years before. He spoke about the ability of women to change the world. He pondered about religion and how people abused it. It was honestly the first time I respected an older person as a human being, not just as an elder. Growing Older Freeman and I wrote letters until he died, in his 90's. We wrote letters to each other, but sometimes Freeman mailed surprises. Sometimes he wrapped up okra or berries form his garden. Once he sent homemade butter, wrapped up in newspaper. When I married, he sent a wedding gift. It was a quilt, created by women of his town, made from the printed material from flour sacks.  Years later, I returned one last time to Eminence with my two year old daughter, Heidi. Freeman was moving a little slower and he had replaced his straw hat with a trucker's hat. He drove us out in his truck to see his cattle, but he didn't bother to get out this time. He just hollered from his window, "HOOOOWEEE!" Remembering Freeman I think about Freeman so often, especially when I see cows.  I can almost hear that high pitched old voice, hollering out to his cattle! Thanks Freeman! You weren't a stranger for long. You changed my view of "older people." I will add a new "Stranger Memory" to my list each week, but none will be quite like you. Like the others, though...I will sadly never see you again.
|
FIFTY-FIVE
STRANGERS To celebrate my birthday in April 2012, I decided to reflect on the past with a different kind of list. I've met a lot of people in my 55 years, but I'm going to stop and remind myself about the strangers I've met. These are people I met by accident, not through friends or work. For some reason, these strangers dropped into my life. Even though we may have only spent a few minutes together, these people have never been forgotten. Each week, I'll spotlight someone I met in the past, who in some small way, made me stop and think. MY GOAL: Remember 55 Strangers Archives
September 2024
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed