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Hey Mister
Heartwarming Strangers
One of my most prized memories pops up frequently on my desktop where I keep many photos I have taken myself as well as those I stumble into on the internet or which friends send me. Seeing these favorite photos is one of many life-affirming & stress relieving strategies I employ to make it through the day. The one above of the 2 smiling seemingly happy kids bundled up against the cold is the special one I mention here. Their authentic smiles shine through the intervening years bringing warmth & joy to an old man’s heart & spirit.
They stopped me on the street one day in Kedainiai, Lithuania & asked me to take their picture as I was photographing a unique art exhibit. An old building had been converted into an art object by using its windows to frame the paintings being exhibited.
I admired their boldness to ask a total stranger, requesting nothing in return. They didn’t even ask me to send them copies of the photo, nor did we exchange names.
Sometimes, just sometimes, the most unexpected events are the most satisfying moments of one’s life, & to be awarded with a photo of the incident is beyond words.
This encounter came precisely at the most opportune moment. Just seconds earlier, I had retreated from a local café into which I had stuck my head. Everyone in the place had swiveled on…
