Last Friday in the wan sunlight of the late afternoon, I wandered halfheartedly over to the beach walkover next to the pier.
Although warmer than recent days, I still felt strangely chilly and didn’t really want to be outside, although some part of me did, very much. I’ve been feeling bereft of words lately and I hoped to see something that would inspire me. This is what I saw.
The car bore Vermont plates and two messages applied with blue painter’s tape.
I snapped the first picture on my way over to the beach, and the second one a few minutes later, when the car’s occupants were bundled in and preparing to go. They seemed to appreciate my camera pointed in their direction and paused for me to get the shot.
After that I immediately looked up and noticed this rising above the low buildings in front of it. I smiled to myself at the congruence of it all.
Despite the warmer afternoon that it was, I was wrapped in my blanket-like coat and although part of me wanted to want to hang out at the beach a bit longer and enjoy myself like these two, I stayed but a few minutes, then gave in to the desire to hurry back to the car, and drove as if on auto-pilot over to the library. Curled up in a dirty chair, I thoroughly enjoyed the next hour of my life paging through the current issue of Vanity Fair, killing time until my next obligation. I left there warm and happy, clutching both the book and the audio version of the novel I’d requested which had been delivered to our branch.
On some days this beachlifer just seeks the comfort of the stacks, however outdated the Beaches Branch of the Jacksonville Public Library really is.This was one of those days.
Great post… and I LOVE Vanity Fair. Although Dominic Dunne was so full of himself and his connections, I will miss his contributions anyway.
The things that are taking place in the world today are so disheartening.. it's uplifting when you see a message such as this..
Getting out into the world for some inspiration feels (to me) like a good yawn (or two… or 50) on a tired afternoon.
It is nice to come back to the working spot with some fresh ideas and a few hopeful signs to take to heart.
Christine
A perfect message to see as we see all this going on in Haiti.
–Mari