Hot Sun, Harsh Light, A Ray Of Hope

At this point I don't have a clue what we might have been chatting about that late afternoon a few weeks back. This is the time of year when the air is dry and clear, sometimes chilly, and I guess the tables with umbrellas were in use by others. The guy on the left was trying to keep the sun off of his neck. On the other hand the harsh direct sunlight accentuates the lines in my face and makes the white hair growing on my chin positively glow!

These are people I see at Starbucks on a regular basis. Along with others we'll drink our coffee, sit and chat for hours about everything from politics and sports to the weather, yet if they'd ever told me their names I don't remember what those names might be. It's another world here where everyone is friendly and equal, from attornies to truck drivers, medical students and drop outs, from a dozen countries with as many accents. We chat about the good times we've had, the things we've done, old things done and gone.

This morning I got into a casual conversation with a young black woman at the next table, covered with a pile of anatomy books. I ended up moving to her table (she invited me) as she told me of her plans to become a registered nurse. I discovered that she was older than she looked, having a ten year old daughter that she was doing her best to raise and still go to school. She was excited about becoming a nurse!

When she left to get to class I got into a conversation that started with an "Are you a photographer?" from a young blonde woman. I'd soon moved my coffee cup to her table. She was in town to see a client of the graphic design firm that she and her dad own up near Palm Beach. We chatted about how that field has changed so much in the last few years, just as photography has changed, due to digital. She talked about all the wonderful possibilities that the new technology was bringing to the field.

This morning was a welcome change. I might not be around forever but the world has a future!