Monday, December 13, 2010

my kind of people

reading

Two Fridays ago we found ourselves at the coolest library in Missouri.
It was Art Walk and there was live music at the library.
We went in and the girls piled up on soft cushions with big books and sang along to the music.

concentrating

Kids played board games and parents snuggled children.
Jeffrey leaned against a pole and enjoyed the tunes.
I sat over against the wall and tried to be unobtrusive as I photographed strangers.

@ Art Walk

Some day, maybe I'll tell you about art I bought that night.

Maybe I'll tell you about the man who loved music so much he wiggled.
About the way our eyes met and we grinned at each other
as we both sang along to Walkin' on Sunshine.
And about the way he whistled sweeter than any bird.

photographing strangers

I'll tell you about the skater boy who played chess with a business-man stranger.
And the way he clapped a crazy beat with my whistling friend.
And how I teared up and forgot to grab my camera, when he got up, walked across the room, and hugged the whistler; hugged him for the sheer shared joy of music.

at the library

I'll tell you about the people I watched.
And how wonderful it was to sit in a room full of people who love
books and music as much as I do.

they were so adorable

I remember looking around and thinking,
Yeah, these are my kind of people.

I'd been wondering where they were.

29 comments:

Yolanda said...

It looks wonderful. You know I love me some libraries and books. I have saved Elizabeth Bergs books to start off January with as you suggested. I find her writing so lyrically beautiful.

Tracy said...

Oh, I love this...my kind of gathering, my kind of people too. ;o) Such fun...Thanks for taking us along, Relyn. Happy Days ((HUGS))

Unknown said...

A nice, friendly gathering. I see one little girl who may have front teeth on her Christmas wish list!

cristie said...

i love to slow down and really take a good look. thank you for sharing this post of a kind simple event. xox

Suz said...

people watching with your heart and a camera!

d smith kaich jones said...

lol! my word verification is wordiate - surely we can turn that into a real working word. to wordiate. :) this sounds wonderful, and i am a bit jealous; the art walks in my area are just not the same. thank you for taking me along.

xoxo
Debi

beth said...

those are my kind of people, too...
how lucky that you got to be surrounded by them for a day....

Amy said...

Oh what fun--I love it!

Marilyn Miller said...

I could feel the love and yes they would be my kind of people too. What a lovely event. Skater boys and men in business suits together is the very best.

Joanna said...

How lucky you are to have this wonderful event so near to where you live. I adore the stories you tell with your pictures. Beautiful.

x

Sue said...

Oh, I love how you wrote this. I know that feeling of being with "like" people...nothing quite like it.

Marion Williams-Bennett said...

So much beauty here and in these people. That some were so beautiful you forgot to take pictures says so much.

Thank you for bring them closer to us!

Jennifer Richardson said...

What riches
that you had
your camera with you!
Such beautiful photos
and a beautiful story.
Those kind of people
~I like 'em too:)
-Jennifer

KTW said...

What a great place! :) I can see where it would have been a blast. They seem to be my kind of people, too. :) Love the story of 'skater boy'. That made me smile. :)

Deanna Bland Hiott PhD, MSN, RN said...

Merry Christmas, Relyn! { } Hugs, Deanna

Kirsten Steen said...

So glad you shared this, Relyn! What a beautiful picture I have now in my head of "The Hug". You have such a beautiful take on life.
K.

GailO said...

I love to people watch! But I could never capture them so well in photos as you have done here...wonderful Relyn!

...and they would be my kind of people too:)

Georgianna said...

Definitely our art walks are not so genuine and companionable. It looks like a truly memorable evening, dear Relyn. I'm so happy you made these connections! Festive wishes to you. :) xo – g

Bee said...

You really did capture some beautiful moments here, Relyn -- both in your words and your photographs. (For an unobtrusive photographer, you got some incredibly warm and intimate pics. Great light and great texture.)

I've often wondered where "my kind of people are" and apparently I'm going to have to travel to Missouri to find them. This library is truly a treasure. btw, I checked out Jeffrey's blog and I was struck by the display of books with their covers facing out. THAT is how you "sell" a book and so few libraries or bookstores do it. Is this the library you refer to on Goodreads?

Laura said...

How wonderful!!!!

Sandy K. said...

Warm fuzzies - for you and for all of us who just shared your adventure. Thank you for sharing. I wish I was there, too.

Jaime said...

Now that is some wonderful people watching.

Ragamuffin Gal said...

I think this is my most favorite post, yes! it is! The pictures, the descriptions, the story(ies) I love every single part of it and most of all I love the author! She is my favorite! And you are getting so good with your camera! <3

spread your wings said...

cool, down to earth people it sounds like. i'd enjoy that too.

BrightenedBoy said...

That sounds like a very cool event.

Elyse said...

I love that library...every time I go into it, I feel the same way you do. But unfortunately, I have no JD to capture the moment with. :) Thank you for doing so.

Elyse said...

I love that library...every time I go into it, I feel the same way you do. But unfortunately, I have no JD to capture the moment with. :) Thank you for doing so.

amelia said...

Thank you for re-posting this--because I did miss it . . . and I certainly didn't want to. Loved it.

Jennifer Richardson said...

Oh my gosh, how amazing is this!
Goose bumps and throat lumping:)
Thanks for being such a bright pair of eyes
with a warm and kind heart
in this sometimes cold world.
You're a treasure, Relyn:)
-Jennifer

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