robert . 56 years old / denver . colorado
i walked downtown with my friend's dog. her name is bayou, so named because she came from louisiana. i really like dogs. i enjoy their company and today was no exception. and... unless it is some sort of super-aggressive, foaming-at-the-mouth, baby eater, people tend to respond kindly to both the dog and the person walking with it. i thought it would be fun to meet today's stranger while with bayou, but it didn't end up going exactly like that.
after a bite to eat with my friend and bayou, we started searching for today's stranger. after about one block, i spotted a man sitting by himself on a bench. it was his hat that caught my eye. i left bayou with my friend and made my way over to him. i think he realized that i was coming towards him and, for a second, i felt like maybe he didn't want to be bothered. i didn't let that stop me, though. i excused myself and told him what i was up to and asked if he would be stranger number 496. he said, "do i have to do anything other than sit here?" i smiled and told him he might have to stand up. that seemed to be ok, so i took a seat beside him to begin the information exchange.
robert had about 20 minutes before he was supposed to meet his girlfriend at the tattered cover bookstore. the weather was absolutely beautiful and robert seemed to be soaking it in. he was enjoying a cigarette - as his only vice, he hopes it will not be the death of him. i began our conversation by asking robert if he was from denver and what he did for work...
robert used to live in new york. after graduating from RIT (rochester institute of technology), he took a job with the eastman kodak company. after working with them for a while, he began traveling around the world, doing engineering consulting. eventually feeling the weight of the fast paced life, he decided to take it easy. he moved to colorado springs about 30 years ago and now owns and manages a few rental properties and also has a small business that he doesn't mess with very much. robert told me that he tries to travel a couple of months each year, mostly sticking to this hemisphere. he is now learning spanish and is quite pleased with the number of countries he would be able to get by in after having that under his belt.
he used to travel extensively in asia, but is finding less time to get over there these days. the way robert talked about his travels and experiences and current life schedule made me slightly envious. i suppose i have to pay my dues and have maybe already had more than my fair share of adventures, but i am definitely ready for more world travel. it is just a matter of finding some cash to put in my wallet.
robert was very nice and wonderfully photogenic. i would have liked to have listened to more of his travel stories, but we parted ways so that he could meet up with his girlfriend. a few minutes later, on my way back home with bayou, we ended up beside the two of them at a stop light and robert's girlfriend was just as lovely as he was.
thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me, robert!
i walked downtown with my friend's dog. her name is bayou, so named because she came from louisiana. i really like dogs. i enjoy their company and today was no exception. and... unless it is some sort of super-aggressive, foaming-at-the-mouth, baby eater, people tend to respond kindly to both the dog and the person walking with it. i thought it would be fun to meet today's stranger while with bayou, but it didn't end up going exactly like that.
after a bite to eat with my friend and bayou, we started searching for today's stranger. after about one block, i spotted a man sitting by himself on a bench. it was his hat that caught my eye. i left bayou with my friend and made my way over to him. i think he realized that i was coming towards him and, for a second, i felt like maybe he didn't want to be bothered. i didn't let that stop me, though. i excused myself and told him what i was up to and asked if he would be stranger number 496. he said, "do i have to do anything other than sit here?" i smiled and told him he might have to stand up. that seemed to be ok, so i took a seat beside him to begin the information exchange.
robert had about 20 minutes before he was supposed to meet his girlfriend at the tattered cover bookstore. the weather was absolutely beautiful and robert seemed to be soaking it in. he was enjoying a cigarette - as his only vice, he hopes it will not be the death of him. i began our conversation by asking robert if he was from denver and what he did for work...
robert used to live in new york. after graduating from RIT (rochester institute of technology), he took a job with the eastman kodak company. after working with them for a while, he began traveling around the world, doing engineering consulting. eventually feeling the weight of the fast paced life, he decided to take it easy. he moved to colorado springs about 30 years ago and now owns and manages a few rental properties and also has a small business that he doesn't mess with very much. robert told me that he tries to travel a couple of months each year, mostly sticking to this hemisphere. he is now learning spanish and is quite pleased with the number of countries he would be able to get by in after having that under his belt.
he used to travel extensively in asia, but is finding less time to get over there these days. the way robert talked about his travels and experiences and current life schedule made me slightly envious. i suppose i have to pay my dues and have maybe already had more than my fair share of adventures, but i am definitely ready for more world travel. it is just a matter of finding some cash to put in my wallet.
robert was very nice and wonderfully photogenic. i would have liked to have listened to more of his travel stories, but we parted ways so that he could meet up with his girlfriend. a few minutes later, on my way back home with bayou, we ended up beside the two of them at a stop light and robert's girlfriend was just as lovely as he was.
thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me, robert!
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