Saturday, December 31, 2011

12/31/11 I LOVE YOU HENRY CHRISTIAN

It's New Year's Eve, and a glorious day in Richmond. I've spent a year missing exploring cities on foot. I've spent a year thinking it would never be the same to do it by myself. I charged my camera battery, put my boots on, and went for a walk. I first saw Henry from behind, and snapped a picture of him.


His was the only booth at the 17th Street Market that had any wares. I had to buy something, or at the very least, talk to the vendor who had taken the time to set up.



I picked out two bright oranges, and admitted that I have no idea how to cook turnips.

The younger man working the stand said, "Ahh, just get 'em. Boil em, little salt and pepper and butter, all set." And so I picked out two. "You'll need three," he said, in a way that belied his seconds-earlier confidence that I would be "all set."

With my two oranges, and my three turnips, my total was just $2.00. I gave him a five and told him he could keep the change if he let me take his picture.
"What's your name?" I always love to know someone's name before taking their picture.
"Tim. I'm Tim."
"I'm Amy, Tim. Thank you for the turnips. I will probably never cook them. But I will love having your picture."



As I was walking away I heard someway say, "Hey! Take my picture!" I was too embarrassed to admit to the old man that I already had. That's when I found out his name was Henry.
"I'm Amy. It's nice to see you here, Henry. My grandfather's name was Henry."
"He black and sell produce?"
Well, no.
I said I would be HAPPY to take his picture. And I was.



And then he said he had to show me something.

And we walked to his truck and he started talkin.

"Got a Christmas card this year. Let me show you. First one. First card I got. Someone took my picture just like you did, and then she sent it to me in a card. Christmas card. Look. See? Henry Christian, right there on the envelope. Henry Christian. That's me. Inside was a picture of me just like the one you took. Same chair."

Here's Henry holding a picture of Henry that someone just like me took.


We talked and talked. I kept asking him questions about his life. I found out these things about Henry

Turnip pusher, Tim, is his youngest son.

There are other children, one who works over in the West End, one they don't see much after the nervous breakdown.

Henry's been coming to the 17th Street Market longer than any other vendor, 29 years.

His wife has heart disease, and takes 4 pills in the morning, 4 in the afternoon, and 4 in the evening.

He grows everything I saw today.

He's 81 years old. And drives a gravel truck, only missing work for those 30 days of radiation to treat his prostate cancer.

He's never made more than $150 a week, but has built four homes, and has never had a mortgage payment.

He has a Ford Model T that he drives to the market once a year. Young people sometimes ask him if they can take pictures of it and they dress as old gangsters and "act a fool" for some pictures.

The pastor of his church helped him build two houses, but he only lived to be 101, and couldn't help with the last two.

He had so many pictures to show me, including one taken at the market in the summertime. Henry is standing with two pretty young women on either side of him.
"I get lonely. I tell the old black women I got these girls waiting for me if ever no one wants me."
And then he laughed at himself.


"I'm still driving my gravel truck. I have two. I'm 79. My wife is 75. I'm just six years older than she is."


"Six? Are you 81?"

"How you know that?"

"Oh, Henry."

"Are you staying downtown tonight? It's New Year's Eve. People are crazy. Shooting over in Church Hill just the other night."

I assured him that I was not staying downtown after dark, that I actually heading home when I bumped into him.

"Are you okay? Do you need some money for later?"

"No, no. I am fine."

And so he gave me an apple.
"You pick it out," he told me. "Any apple here. Pick out the best one. Do you need turnips?"

No. I don't need turnips. But I needed this day. To be out in the sun. To explore the city like I used to do. To meet Henry and Tim. To have someone let me pick out the best apple, and give it to me in exchange for conversation, and stories.

I love Henry. I love his openness, and his gratitude, and his pride. I love his humor, and stories. I love that he reminded me the reason I go exploring in the first place, and that I can do it alone if I have to.

I took a picture of the return address on the envelope from the person who sent Henry the picture she had taken of him. I am going to write to her and let her know that I met Henry, too, and that I am grateful that he had her card to show me--that tangible thing that could be turned over in our hands that began a conversation that saved me today in ways I can't explain. And made the end of very difficult year a little better.

All Henry knows is that he went home three turnips lighter today. He'll never know how much he lightened my load.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

1/23/11

I miss writing this blog.
And I do not want to give up on it.
In the meantime,
I am participating in another project that you might be interested in.
Visit me here.
xoxo

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Dec 19. 2010


LaDonna Austin

For not being afraid to extend a
short notice invitation.

I WILL BE RIGHT THERE!

xoxo

Dec 18, 2010


Valerie McQueen

For knowing that you can't get your
whole life together just because you
get one snow day.

xoxo

And for calling me on the telly phone.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Dec 5, 2010

Brenda Downstairs.

I don't have a picture of Brenda right now,

but didn't want to have to delay this post until morning.


Brenda lives on the first floor

and whenever I pick up a call from her she says,

"Hello! This is Brenda Downstairs."

I have her programmed into my phone as such--

first name Brenda, last name Downstairs.

So I already know who is calling.


I'm not sure how old Brenda Downstairs is.

She has been a widow for a long time.

Her sons live far away.


She calls me if there is high wind.

Or even the threat of high wind.

"Are you okay up there?

You know that you can come down."


Once, I told her that I loved the shoes she was wearing.

Brenda Downstairs called me a couple of hours later

and told me that she got the shoes at DSW,

she had a coupon that she would probably not use,

and that I should knock on her door and get it.


She called me on Thanksgiving morning

because she saw my car out front,

and wanted to make sure I was okay.


Tonight, she heard my bathwater drain

and Brenda Downstairs called.

I don't know what the original reason for her call was.

But we ended up talking about love, loss, snow,

and Christmas.


On this December Sunday, it's Brenda Downstairs.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Dec 2, 2010

I really don't want to have to re-name this blog
One Person. Every Day That I Get Around to It.

Sorry I have been remiss.

I promise to do better.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Nov 29, 2010



Nicole Krauss

"It's in those places...those fissures...those very fragile and quite dark places...abysses that people find themselves in...I think those places give up this opportunity for revelation, for transcendence, for transformation.
I'm attracted to them not for their darkness, I think in everything I write, it seems strange to say, I feel hopeful about all the potential, about the magnitude of life and all that we are given to feel. I'm not shy about touching and talking about how painful it is, but I have this hope that somehow in dwelling in all of that there is an opportunity for some kind of enhancement."

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Nov 28, 2010


Mary Daisy Dinkle

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Nov 27, 2010

Phone Call From Madeline

HI MADELINE!!!!

Hi, Amy.

What are you doing?

Driving to swim lessons.

How is Daisy?

Fine.

Did you have a good Thanksgiving?

Yeah. We had ham. What were you for Halloween? I was a fairy by day, witch by night.

I wasn't anything. I went to bed early.

Oh.

You know what we forgot to do when I was in Denver? We forgot to make a Christmas list.

I know.

What could I send you for Christmas?

You know. You know. You know. Not clothes.

Toys?

My mom and dad made my Toy Story 3 list and Santa is bringing me ONE Toy Story 3 thing.

Who do you think you'll get? Woody? Buzz?

Probably. But Dinosaur, Potato, Jessie, Woody, they are all my favorite.

Do you think they have Jessie at Target?

Probably they have Jessie at Target. She's twenty cents.

*****mumbling from what sounds like Madeline's mother in the background****

Oh, Amy? Jessie's MORE than twenty cents.

Okay. I will make sure I take enough cents for Jessie.

Okay. I love you.

I love you, Madeline. Have a good swim lesson. Call me again. Soon.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Nov 26, 2010

Lynn.

A little birdie told me today that
Lynn reads my blog.

Oh, the pressure!
When you (I) can write with the knowledge that
no one is reading,
you (I) can write anything at all.

At least it's Lynn,
who teaches second and third grade,
and is used to a lot of trial and error
in writing.

xoxo