The best day begins with vegetables, beets and carrots on card tables and tailgates, just south of Dublin.
Off the train I find a small market, food stalls and craft stands lining the harbor parking lots. Drawn in by the colors I start out snapping photos of vegetables and right away a man in a nametag flags me down. I nearly bolt, so sure am I that he's coming to tell me to get the hell away from the produce.
He gets close and he's smiling, pointing at my unwieldy camera and asking my rate. My rate? He thinks I'm a professional - before I can say "tourist" and "misunderstanding" and "hobby" he's pointing to his stand, his small marble statues, pleading for a few shots for his website. Unsure of how else to respond, I finally agree to be who he thinks.
We start working right away, shooting patrons and purchases; at first, he's unsure how to answer curious customers. I nervously show each photo on my digital display and wait for him to find me out. And all of the sudden, we point-and-click, and for a moment, lose who we were. We offer the other a brief but hopeful costume, us two, this after-hours chiseler and accidental obituary writer. Just for now, we'll be intrepid artists, celebrated and sought after.
Just for now, we'll feel lucky to have been found.
We lose our light and shake hands, exchanging emails for the photos. He thanks me and offers me a few bills, I don't accept, I can't. I thank him, and again, and he hugs me.
I owe you for this, he calls out as I head back. And also for the photos.
My Trusted MOGs
So nice.
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Would I be wrong in saying, "That's how friends are made."
Honestly, that is life at it's best.
You hooked him up, right?
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If you mean gave him the photos, I did indeed. And they turned out well!
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Then your one up in the game. Nice job.
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Ah, so you are discovering the wonderful people of Ireland, the friendliest and most hospitable in the world that I've seen. Good for you.
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accidental awesomeness.
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Nice too see that you are back and had a good trip.I missed your writing and see you return in good form,looking forward to more,Thanks
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Bee-you-ti-ful.
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Lovely; a most appropriate song for the post. Merci.
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Thanks for the Frames post. I was never that familiar with them until I saw Glen Hansard in Once. What a terrific and powerful singer/songwriter and your post gets me in the mood to add them to my jukebox. :-)
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Great tune!
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That's awesome, you must be a good photographer to have thought to be a professional.
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Thanks to everyone who stops by to read these ramblings and says nice things. I'm glad The Frames are workin' for everyone!
@ BGH - I never got to hear what he thought of the photos, I think it was just the professional-looking camera that gave me away. I'm a fraud. :)
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Haha that's ok though, you must have pulled it off well enough...I have a nice camera too but I'm definitely not a pro at all, so technically I'd probably be a fraud too. :)
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what a story. it is the kind of thing we live for, isn't it? thanks for sharing.
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frames... dublin... food...
Sounds perfect!
great post
the littlest mojo x
www.thelittlestmojo.com