The Power of Pictures

This morning, I had the idea to look in the archives & see what I was doing a year ago today. Maybe I'l start a new series, Lisbon Daily Photo, 1 Year Late.
Anyway, I found that among other things, I spent a while in my beloved Jardim de Estrela, working on revising an economics text. The woman appeared with her snack and sat down to eat it.
Ever the observer, I noted that she looked really depressed, like she could burst into tears any minute. Then she finished eating & the pombos arrived for the crumbs. I then noticed that she was aware enough to take photos of them with her mobile phone-camera. Which is when my 5 megapixel wonder swung into action.

After the seesion was over, I got up, walked over & said: "Cá estão, as minhas preferidas". I think she hadn't even noticed that I was shooting and was really surprised. But, for the first time since she'd sat down, the eyes opened up and produced a huge smile.







She then showed me what she'd shot, said she thought mine were much better. But then, the subject was different, wasn't it? She actually thanked me for showing them and I left, content to think that between us, the pigeons & I had made a little positive difference for somebody, if only for a short time


I like that. Nobody thinks too much about what burdens the strangers around us are carrying inside them. Or cares. But to have a little understanding for the fact that they, like all of us, might be carrying a burden, opens the possibility to make it lighter, at least. Give good, you get good. Simple! Of course, she could also have given me a smack for invading her privacy..... Now, what was I doing tomorrow?