Sunday, December 27, 2009
It's a JEEP thing........
The Salesman told us, "I have bad news, someone else bought the orange jeep you had been looking at two hours ago. It was being shipped back east." I came so close to just settling for another color, red. I touched the contract with my pen ready to sign, I stopped. It just didn't seem right. Lifted my pen from thepaper, looked at the salesman and asked, "Are you sure you don't have an orange jeep anywhere else?" He looked at me and said, "Well we have a manual out in the back lot." Raising my eyebrows I looked at my husband and asked what is a manual? It's a stick shift. OMG, bring it on out! I know how to drive a stick shift. After ten long hours in a small office at the dealership, you were ours. Whatever It Takes!
We nearly left without you. We didn’t know you were so close.
Wooo Hooo what a ride it has been!
From the first moment I set eyes on you, it was love at first sight! I went with the salesman to the dusty parking lot on a hot August day in 2006 where you sat waiting for the right person to come along and introduce joy back into your life. Beginning our journey together.
Now, it's time you move on and bring joy to someone else. On Christmas Eve 2009 we listed you on eBay. There's going to be someone else who wants you as much as we do and you'll bring them as much joy as you did us.
WE’LL MISS YOU...
Dusty trails, hot sunny days,
moonlight rides. Taking care of us when we drove down
steep, rutted, desert roads. Forever in our Hearts...ILY...We Love You.
AriZona & Marc
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Serendipity . . .
I walked into a Starbucks yesterday evening after a Doctor's appointment to sit and write for a few minutes. Before I got out of my jeep I noticed a beautiful old woman wearing a bright red beret covering her white grey hair with a red blazer and black pants. She was being helped by a tall 40ish man with gold wire frame glasses wearing a dark black sweater and pants. By the time I got inside they were already in deep conversation.
I ordered my drink and quickly found a table tucked in the corner with good lighting and happened to be behind this beautiful woman. I set my bag down and walked back to the counter to get my drink. While waiting this 40ish man was very loud, figuring it may be because she was hard of hearing. He reminded me of Colbert of "The Colbert Show" although happy I find him cold and loud. This man was cold, loud and unrelenting. It disturbed me that this man was asking questions while hollering at her rudely. People were watching and whispering.
I got my Tazo Chai with soy, no water and no foam drink, turned and went to my table, got out my book "EGNAHC EHT YAW UOY EES GNIHTYREVE"..."Change The Way You See Everything" and notebook. I couldn't focus on anything because of this man's loud voice. Writers say write down some content from overheard conversations. As quickly as I had that thought, I was writing fast and furious in my notebook. Amazing. I've done this before but it never went anywhere. I couldn't believe I actually had some story content. Whatever It Takes!
This man was trying to find out information about marriages...of his grandfather in 1890 and of his father and several of his marriages, and the women's names.
He coldly shot out questions. "Who of my fathers (Frances) sisters lived in Florida? Don't remember?" Frances' daughter, our first cousin Mary Lou. She had 5 or 6 children, Aggi, Viola, Lawrence, Francis, Ellen and Agnes. I didn't go to Daddy's wedding to Sue, I was in college, I wasn't invited. You came, and you weren't invited and they kicked you out! I didn't go, I wasn't invited and I was in college! When Beth got married, daddy was already dead. Coldly, "It's non of your business!" You asked about the woman daddy married, she was 20 years old. Guess she married the wrong fellow. Daddy wasn't good at marriage.
I'm thinking Wow, this is good stuff! I keep writing.
The conversation turned towards what she could fix for dinner. Again he lashes out, "A working man on the street might be able to eat that chicken! It's full of grease, it's in the preparation. I can't eat that." This man was callous, controlling and rude, he had every head turned towards him in disbelief.
I stopped focusing on dialogue and started drawing her next to the story. She was frail and beautiful.
He abruptly got up to go to the bathroom and said when he got back they would leave.
She slowly stood up from her chair, put her jacket on and looked at me. I was smiling. She took two steps to my table and asked what I was doing?
I quickly covered my drawing of her, didn't want to share, she didn't know I was drawing her and she might not like that. An invasion of privacy. Actually, I thought it might be her grandson (?) who might get his nose tweaked if he saw my drawing.
I'm reading "Change The Way You See Things" and showed her the book.
"At What?", she asks.
The World. The World of Life.
"You sound like an interesting person. I would like to talk to you more. She opens her purse and reaches in."
At that point the man comes out of the bathroom and notices she is talking with me and rushes to her side. He smiles at me like he doesn't have any concern or agenda I think after observing his controlling nature and ready to pounce on that poor woman. Clearly, he doesn't like what she is doing. I smiled at him and turned my attention towards her as I see him in the corner of my eye looking at all my things laying on the table. I had my arm fully over the drawing and did not move it.
Still searching her purse for a business card she finally pulls out the small blue plastic card holder turning over a couple of cards until she finds hers.
He says, "You need more cards."
She hands it to me and says, "You call me. You sound interesting. You're not very old."
Yes, I am. I take her card, Thank You. My name is AriZona.
"You're name is Arizona?"
Yes, as I hold her frail hand.
He says, "We'll remember that."
She asks me "How old do you think I am?"
You are a young 75ish.
She smiles. She leans closer and looks me in the eye, "I'm 97."
I look at her beauty and say I hope I age as well. Have a Merry Christmas.
He tugs at her elbow guiding her to the door to leave.
It was raining hard as I looked out the window seeing them in the parking lot, her frail body walking slowly. I take another picture on my iPhone to capture the moment. Would I call her? I wonder how that would change our lives. Hers and Mine. We were connected from the moment I saw her at first going into Starbucks, to sitting behind her, listening to the conversation, drawing her and then...she turned towards me and continued the story. Will I call her?
Living Passionately,
AriZona
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