Stranger with a Story

   Should I initiate a conversation?
   The thought crossed my mind when I noticed an elderly man. Like me, he was strolling along a walkway. I'd seen him before. He was a Catholic priest. This place was a shrine.
   I decided to go for it. Greetings were exchanged. A conversation broke out.
   He identified himself as a retired missionary. I asked about his work overseas.
  He'd served in Indonesia. That's a mostly Islamic country. He said the people there welcomed the presence of Catholic churches. That's because the churches served the poor. His account surprised me. I assumed that kind of acceptance rarely happened in Muslim countries.
   The priest also served in Sierra Leone. A civil war raged back then. He ministered to the victims of rebel atrocities. Their arms, legs, ears, or noses had been chopped off.
   Here's a man who devoted his life to ministering to the poor. He did so under the radar, without seeking acclaim. Now he assists in the upkeep of the shrine.
   Meeting him inspired me. By speaking to a stranger, my life was enriched. 

River of Happiness

I photographed this man siting on the bank of a river near my home.

   When I need a dose of tranquility, I visit a river. It's so small that most people don't know it exists.
   What makes this river appealing is a floodplain surrounding it. I can observe details of nature up close, far back, and in between. 
   My preference for this river could be more than subjective. It might be ingrained. Here's what research suggests:
   Humans prefer open landscapes. But not wide open. They want things physical things interspersed, like trees, nooks and crannies, and whatever. A diversity of terrain lends mystery and character to a setting. Mixed savannah is considered the ideal.
   I believe that viewing open scenery--but not too open--recharges one's sense of well being. It contributes to happiness.

When Cool Isn't Cool

Empty seats in young adult room of library.

    Behavior is hard to predict.
   A new library opened here. It includes a young adult room. The furniture in the room is shaped to look cool. The chairs and table are bolted to the floor.
  So far, not many teens are sitting in those chairs. They're sitting in the adult section. Those chairs look conventional. They're free standing.
  I doubt the teen's preferences are based on comfort. It's about perception. Teens don't want adults choosing what's cool for them. That means they won't sit in weird looking chairs installed by adults.
   Hat's off to the library staff for trying. But most of the time, trying to be cool ends up being uncool.

Teens hang out in adult section of library.

Celebrating Literature

Author (at left) takes questions during book launch party in a friend's kitchen.

   A friend of mine got her first book published. To celebrate the occasion, someone hosted a book launching party. It happened over the weekend inside an apartment near Boston.
   During the party, I chatted with a literary agent. She claimed that Boston and San Francisco are the most supportive cities in the nation for writers. The agent lives in New York. She said NYC has a busy literary scene, but the hugeness of the population makes it harder to foster community among writers.
   Her compliment isn't surprising. Around fifty author readings happen weekly in and around Boston. Writing workshops are commonplace. A book festival takes place each year.
   What makes Boston such a literary beehive? There's reasons too numerous to cite, so here's a simple answer: In a culturally dynamic city, literature is appreciated.

A Cat Named Diesel

Diesel the Cat is photographed during a customer appreciation picnic.

  
   Diesel hugged children. People ate hot dogs. The occasion was a customer appreciation picnic hosted by an oil heating company.
    Let's examine an underlying reason for this picnic. My brother switched from oil heating to natural gas. So did my church. So did lots of people around here. They're saving a bundle.

A family eats ice cream at the picnic.

   
   Heating oil companies are losing customers. Heating oil companies are getting nervous. Heating oil companies are treating their customers with greater regard.
   Some customers won't break their allegiance with this oil company. They'll pay more for oil than natural gas. Why? Because a costumed cat named Diesel embraced their kids.
   Sometimes emotion trumps logic.

Gas line just installed at my church.

Not on My Feet

   My visit to the mall should have been simple--buy white socks. I wear them while playing basketball. A complication developed. At almost every store, the socks displayed corporate labels. 
   I avoid clothing that advertises for corporations. This stance makes shopping difficult. Still, I was shocked by the proliferation of socks for sale with corporate logos on them. On previous visits to stores, finding plain while socks had been easy.
   I left the mall empty handed. 

   Lots of people wear brand names on their clothing. They believe that flashing a corporate label enhances their status. Other people buy whatever is convenient, even if it means displaying a label.
    Being a walking billboard is anything but cool. It's boring and conformist. 

Friends of the Dead

   At first, the burial ground looked ordinary. Old headstones stood near the road. Newer ones stood farther back.
   Under normal circumstances I would have driven past. Not this time. I was driving in Georgia to research a novel. The burial ground was located near where the novel begins. What better a setting for a plot than a burial ground? (Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun).
   I pulled over and walked among the deceased. 
   What first intrigued me were the oldest gravestones. They were mere rocks. Some of them could be lifted with one hand. No names or epitaphs were etched on them.
   That's right, no names.
   Here's what intrigued me the most. Artificial flowers stood beside some of those rocks.
   What motivates people to place flowers beside the graves of unknown dead from one-and-a-half centuries ago? I can't answer that question, but it's nice to know such caring people exist in this world.