So, I took my daughter down to the Purple People Bridge for a photo shoot.   The bridge runs over the Ohio River between Cincinnati (Sawyer Point) and Newport on the Levee.  It is a very scenic area and a perfect spot to take a bunch of InstaWorthy pictures. 

We had been there about an hour or so.  Snapped a few hundred shots and walked a few miles and where having a great time together.  By now, however, I was beginning to feel my age, the extra pounds I'm carrying around, and the few thousand extra steps I needed to take because I left my wallet in the car and had to go back.  I needed a break.

Oh, look, over there !!  A picnic table and a hot dog cart.  Just what the doctor ordered.  I convinced my teen to sit a spell and let dad enjoy a Brat with Kraut, a water, and some Doritos.  Most importantly, I got to rest the feet and breathe a bit.  We looked thru our efforts thus far.  Here is an example of one of them.

About this time my daughter went off on her own for a minute to go check something out.  I stayed comfortably perched at the table, not yet finished with my water or Doritos.  Then I hear a voice.  The voice says to me, " you sit there like that very long and you're going to get sunburned."  I turned around, swallowing the last bit of Ranch Doritos so I could politely respond and made some kind of friendly benign response.  The person I responded to was none other than Linda Richman of Coffee Talk fame.

Her hair had more streaks of gray but this was who was chatting with me. I was, understandably verklempt.  My friendly benign response was so well received that it was obviously an invitation to sit down at the table with me and "discuss".  She gave me a topic.  Her arm was held tightly in a sling and lo and behold that was the first topic.  She fell on her face in front of the three stray cats she keeps. ( if she keeps them, are they really stray?)  They gathered round her and watched and waited.  She said they seemed to know something she didn't.  She didn't go the hospital for weeks, needing a friend to drive her.  She only ended up going because she took one of her 3 stray cats ( again, are they stray or not?) to the vet.  The vet saw her arm and made her go.  Her husband was a pharmacist who put himself thru school by taking pictures and selling them.  It took 25 ish minutes for her to tell me/us (Grace was back by now) her life story.  We both occasionally put forth a polite feedback response.  Just enough to let her know we were paying attention and keep it from getting awkward.  (Well, more awkward, but that was only on our end)  She really was just kinda lonely I guess and wanted someone to listen to her story.  We politely obliged and did the best two introverts could do as far as engaging the dialog.  After a time, she arose and headed on her way.  Her parting words..........  " my husband is gone, both my parents are gone, and both sets of grandparents are gone....... enjoy each other, love one another and hug each other"

Grace's response was, well that was a major downer at the end....... 

I guess if you really need someone to talk to, any random stranger might just due.

Be well my new friend.  Oddest part to me, looking back, we never even asked each others names.  Maybe next time. 

Now I'm ready to get back to taking pictures.  My model, daughter, and co-photographer is ready as well.  But first, I must clean up my snack. As I gather up my debris, I wonder around the general vicinity looking for a public (if you said PUB-LIC in the voice of Ron White, raise your hand) pub_lic trash receptacle. 

Now, I hear another voice..... 

This time its a 30ish year old young woman who had obviously been watching me for some time.  She said, straight up..... " ah naw, if you didn't finish those Doritos, don't waste 'em, give 'em up"  She's not a homeless person or anything, she just sitting in the shade on the curb with her husband enjoying the day like so many other people.  I then see her husband ( I'm assuming here, could be boyfriend or brother or whatever) put his face in his hands and quietly said..... Shit, you didn't just do that.....  Well of course, I'm going to feed this.  I happily take her a half eaten bag of Doritos and she proceeds to thank me and we go on our way.  The reactions of both her man and my daughter were priceless and just part of the story. 

We move on, take a few more pictures.

While working the scene, we've been talking.   After the next location we start walking again.  Grace says something pretty profound all of the sudden.  She said, " hey dad, we're having a great time out here today.  someday when you're older and crustier than you already are, you can look back on these good times we spend together."

My response was, well, unforseeably awkward. 

I said, "hey Grace, I think the hope, as far as I'm concerned is that some day you look back on these times and remember them as good times we spent together"

My voice cracked before I even finished the sentence.  Why? Well, the word is mortality.  I suddenly realized that some day she will look back at 'these times' and she will be looking back and remembering them because I'm gone!!

In mid sentence I just visualized my own death.  ( don't do this, highly unrecommended ) 

We are standing at the top a long stair.  I have to stop and compose myself.  Gather my wits, control my eyes, consciously control my breathing.  I'm a half second away from an unexplainable melt down.  Grace turns back to me and asks if I'm dizzy again.  ( looking over the bridge edge straight down at water, also not highly recommended)  Nope, just need a moment.

It didn't take me too long to compartmentalize the self drama and move on. 

We proceeded to take more pictures and continue our memorable day out and about.  A good time was had by all, and stories and memories were made and lived.  I need to have more of these.

Lesson.........  I should have been at home cutting the grass ( sorry neighbors ) putting down mulch, working on laundry, and a myriad of other things that didn't get done this Saturday. However, even tho I felt guilty for shirking my responsibilities, I made the right choice. 

Together we made some memories that will last forever.  Stories she can and probably will share with her kids.  We invested time in a lady who just needed some time invested in her, and in turn she reminded me of what is important in life.  We shared my Doritos with a lady whom has no boundaries, reminding me that boundaries can be highly over rated and burdensome to life. 

The investment was worth it.