jill . 49 years old / denver . colorado
i left my apartment not really knowing where to go. i wandered north a few blocks, taking care to stay in the warm sunshine as much as possible. i made a few phone calls as i walked and kept my eyes peeled for any interesting folks. i ended up on 20th avenue, across from a small park. i noticed a woman in a wheelchair scooting through the crosswalk with a small pug at her side. as you look through the previous 403 days of this project, you won't come across any other wheelchairs. this whole process is a tremendous education for me. i am figuring things out as i go along. there isn't a rule book or even a pamphlet full of recommendations. today i decided to do what i wanted. and i wanted to meet the wheelchair's occupant.
i hurried across the street and cut through the grass and approached the woman and her dog. i excused myself and told her that i was working on a photography project called "i heart strangers". she laughed a little bit and said that she "hearted strangers, too". i went on to explain what i was doing and asked her to be a part of it. she graciously accepted. i noticed that she had a patch of sod in her lap. i asked her about it and learned that she intended to fill in a hole under a nearby tree. i guess some neighborhood dogs had been busy being dogs and left a hole in the ground in their wake.
i took the sod from her and kicked some loose soil into the hole. it was a shady landscaping job, but it was something. i introduced myself to jill and, soon afterwards, met her 5 year old, award winning pug, sissy. jill was out taking sissy for a little stroll and making the rounds of the park. she checks in on the homeless folks that congregate there and keeps an eye on the park's happenings.
jill works in family planning for the government. she has an extensive background in working with the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and used to word for the center for disease control in atlanta, georgia. i got the impression that she greatly enjoys her work. i asked her if the wheelchair was always a part of her life. she looked down at it as if it was an afterthought and told me she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 30 years ago. jill said that people often tell her how brave she is, but she chuckled and said that they could say that if it made them feel better. she doesn't look at it as being brave. she looks at it as part of her life and she deals with it as is necessary.
jill was so pleasant and so soft spoken. she had a lovely smile and a warm spirit. she was interested in hearing more about the project so we chatted for a few minutes. then she asked me to autograph the modified business card that i had given her. she claimed i would be famous one day. i laughed, but i signed it.
thanks so much, jill. and sissy!
i left my apartment not really knowing where to go. i wandered north a few blocks, taking care to stay in the warm sunshine as much as possible. i made a few phone calls as i walked and kept my eyes peeled for any interesting folks. i ended up on 20th avenue, across from a small park. i noticed a woman in a wheelchair scooting through the crosswalk with a small pug at her side. as you look through the previous 403 days of this project, you won't come across any other wheelchairs. this whole process is a tremendous education for me. i am figuring things out as i go along. there isn't a rule book or even a pamphlet full of recommendations. today i decided to do what i wanted. and i wanted to meet the wheelchair's occupant.
i hurried across the street and cut through the grass and approached the woman and her dog. i excused myself and told her that i was working on a photography project called "i heart strangers". she laughed a little bit and said that she "hearted strangers, too". i went on to explain what i was doing and asked her to be a part of it. she graciously accepted. i noticed that she had a patch of sod in her lap. i asked her about it and learned that she intended to fill in a hole under a nearby tree. i guess some neighborhood dogs had been busy being dogs and left a hole in the ground in their wake.
i took the sod from her and kicked some loose soil into the hole. it was a shady landscaping job, but it was something. i introduced myself to jill and, soon afterwards, met her 5 year old, award winning pug, sissy. jill was out taking sissy for a little stroll and making the rounds of the park. she checks in on the homeless folks that congregate there and keeps an eye on the park's happenings.
jill works in family planning for the government. she has an extensive background in working with the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and used to word for the center for disease control in atlanta, georgia. i got the impression that she greatly enjoys her work. i asked her if the wheelchair was always a part of her life. she looked down at it as if it was an afterthought and told me she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 30 years ago. jill said that people often tell her how brave she is, but she chuckled and said that they could say that if it made them feel better. she doesn't look at it as being brave. she looks at it as part of her life and she deals with it as is necessary.
jill was so pleasant and so soft spoken. she had a lovely smile and a warm spirit. she was interested in hearing more about the project so we chatted for a few minutes. then she asked me to autograph the modified business card that i had given her. she claimed i would be famous one day. i laughed, but i signed it.
thanks so much, jill. and sissy!
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