A Lot to Live For
The drive down US24 from Fort Wayne, IN to Toledo, OH is filled with surprises. This afternoon, the sun was perfect – slanting through autumn leaves eastward down the Maumee River. I had to stop and take in the view at Roche de Bout near Waterville.
As I lamely tried to capture the moment on my phone, a fellow joined me to shoot the river view in the soft October light. We talked a little about cameras, his well worn G7 camera dangling from a leather neck strap. He talked about the G7’s adventures in London, Rome, Greece, and around his native Toledo. He mentioned using folders full of his snapshots as slideshows on his TV. “It’s a lot better than watching cable news or soap operas”, he explained.
The old Interurban bridge near Waterville, OH.
I mentioned my mom, and asked if he thought a senior citizen could learn how to use email and facebook if they’d never ever touched a computer. This fellow started using computers and digital cameras in the 90’s – after he retired from the railroad. He’s nearly 80 now and still scrabbling down the path at Roche de Bout to get a perfect October river shot.
“Get your mom one of those $400 Acer laptops”, he advised. “You may need to sit with her a little bit to get her started, but she’ll catch on in no time.” His parting comment to me: “Don’t write someone off because they’re old – your mom still has a lot to live for!”