joyce . 51 years old / denver . colorado
it's difficult to give the strangers the attention they deserve when i am with someone else, so i usually end up searching for them alone. that's usually not a problem because i am often alone, but my mother is visiting this week, so i have to drop her off here or there and then venture out. although, i would probably fair better if i brought her along because people gives guys that love their moms a lot of credit. maybe tomorrow...
i wandered around a few blocks, excited about who i would run into and where it would take place. i walked through some residential streets, but they usually don't produce much and today didn't prove to be different. i made my way back towards 13th avenue en route to downtown, but stopped short when i saw this woman sitting on a stone wall.
i almost walked by her, but halted directly in front of her, excused myself, and dove into my everyday "strangers pitch". she rolled her eyes a bit, but good-naturedly, and tried to get out of it by claiming she wasn't photogenic. that hasn't worked before and it didn't today.
she pointed out that there were strangers all over the place and wanted to know why i didn't choose them. i told her she was the first person to catch my eye and that seemed to suffice. we made our introductions and then joyce told me we only had a few minutes because she was waiting for her friend. while we were filling out the consent form, her friend, dawn, showed up and brought all the skepticism in the world with her. she looked me in the eye and said, "that's creepy!" i laughed, which is probably not the best response to such an accusation, but it was because i was surprised by her forwardness. then she proceeded to explain to joyce that i was probably a serial killer.
that opened the doors for a discussion about how this isn't creepy at all, that it is just my glorified attempt at paying attention to the people around me. both joyce and dawn seemed to appreciate that and i think we won dawn over because she eventually agreed to sign the release as the witness.
joyce and i made our way around the corner of a building to find some shade. i asked her to take her sunglasses off and, for a split second, i thought she was going to say no. i've been there once before and it is heart-breaking because i need the eyes. it's all in the eyes.
and joyce's eyes reminded me of a friend from boston. when i told her so she said she had been told something similar before. she has kind eyes, so i'd guess that makes them familiar to those people lucky enough to have met another kind-eyed individual.
joyce had just taken part in a gathering in front of the capitol building in support of recovering alcoholics. evidently they had gathered enough people to fully surround the capitol building while holding hands. tradition has been to leave one space open, as a representation of those who have left and others who have yet to join the group. i liked the sounds of it and it served as a reminder that there is power in numbers.
i asked joyce what she did for work and she told me she was an artist, specializing in making jewelry (she's modeling some of her own work in the photos). i asked her if she said yes because she had an appreciation for art. she paused and looked at me and said she didn't know, but she was certain i wasn't a serial killer. i'll take compliments however they come.
i am grateful for meeting both joyce and dawn today. i figure each time i meet a skeptic, i can do my part to change their mind because i'm not trying to do anybody any harm.
it's difficult to give the strangers the attention they deserve when i am with someone else, so i usually end up searching for them alone. that's usually not a problem because i am often alone, but my mother is visiting this week, so i have to drop her off here or there and then venture out. although, i would probably fair better if i brought her along because people gives guys that love their moms a lot of credit. maybe tomorrow...
i wandered around a few blocks, excited about who i would run into and where it would take place. i walked through some residential streets, but they usually don't produce much and today didn't prove to be different. i made my way back towards 13th avenue en route to downtown, but stopped short when i saw this woman sitting on a stone wall.
i almost walked by her, but halted directly in front of her, excused myself, and dove into my everyday "strangers pitch". she rolled her eyes a bit, but good-naturedly, and tried to get out of it by claiming she wasn't photogenic. that hasn't worked before and it didn't today.
she pointed out that there were strangers all over the place and wanted to know why i didn't choose them. i told her she was the first person to catch my eye and that seemed to suffice. we made our introductions and then joyce told me we only had a few minutes because she was waiting for her friend. while we were filling out the consent form, her friend, dawn, showed up and brought all the skepticism in the world with her. she looked me in the eye and said, "that's creepy!" i laughed, which is probably not the best response to such an accusation, but it was because i was surprised by her forwardness. then she proceeded to explain to joyce that i was probably a serial killer.
that opened the doors for a discussion about how this isn't creepy at all, that it is just my glorified attempt at paying attention to the people around me. both joyce and dawn seemed to appreciate that and i think we won dawn over because she eventually agreed to sign the release as the witness.
joyce and i made our way around the corner of a building to find some shade. i asked her to take her sunglasses off and, for a split second, i thought she was going to say no. i've been there once before and it is heart-breaking because i need the eyes. it's all in the eyes.
and joyce's eyes reminded me of a friend from boston. when i told her so she said she had been told something similar before. she has kind eyes, so i'd guess that makes them familiar to those people lucky enough to have met another kind-eyed individual.
joyce had just taken part in a gathering in front of the capitol building in support of recovering alcoholics. evidently they had gathered enough people to fully surround the capitol building while holding hands. tradition has been to leave one space open, as a representation of those who have left and others who have yet to join the group. i liked the sounds of it and it served as a reminder that there is power in numbers.
i asked joyce what she did for work and she told me she was an artist, specializing in making jewelry (she's modeling some of her own work in the photos). i asked her if she said yes because she had an appreciation for art. she paused and looked at me and said she didn't know, but she was certain i wasn't a serial killer. i'll take compliments however they come.
i am grateful for meeting both joyce and dawn today. i figure each time i meet a skeptic, i can do my part to change their mind because i'm not trying to do anybody any harm.
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