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JOURNEY JOURNAL
















On Saturday, we took a little escapade.
Sat on a bus through a landscape of fields,
 a dog darted across a meadow,
behind the trees the sea. 
The sun threw orange puddles over the passengers' faces,
blinded the eyes,
but no one drew the curtains for cover.
Everyone thirsty for golden heat. 
















Happiness took hold in that moment.
I notice that for me a sense of happiness
often intertwines with the feeling of freedom,
 crystalized during journey-making,
even if a simple bus ride to a nearby town.
















We did our customary rounds of the little boutiques,
lunch in peace,
coffee & cake at our usual haunt
under the shadow of a mural on the far wall. 
Outside the white church,
black-clad mourners gathered for a funeral. 

















On the way back,
my daughter all tired and quiet after a long day,
I was mesmerized by the conversation of two ladies a row behind.
One roughly in her fifties,
the other, silver-haired, perhaps eighty or so.
They talked deeply about life, 
loneliness and its different forms,
how the elderly lady had intentionally chosen to live alone
and had no regrets.
They spoke with such respect and depth,
 as equals,
friend to friend,
leaving me gasping at how rare it was
and what a warm glow it radiated around.
 People so often talk to the elderly
as if they were children
or already removed from normality and emotions. 
And how much gets lost
when we talk past 
and not with each other. 


















Teimme lauantaina retken.
Bussilla halki peltomaisemien,
yhdessä kohtaa viiletti koira pellon poikki,
sitten siinsi taas meri.
Aurinko heitteli matkalaisten sekaan oransseja läikkiään,
se sokaisi silmät 
eikä kukaan vetänyt verhoja suojaksi.
Taitaa kaikkien iho janota kultaista lämpöä.
Tunsin oloni onnelliseksi juuri tuossa.
Mietin, että minulla se onnentunne tuppaa sekoittumaan vapaudentunteeseen 
ja tiivistyy juuri matkalla,
vaikkapa sitten vaatimattomasti bussilla lähikaupunkiin. 

Perillä tutut putiikit, lounas,
kahvit Helmen pöydässä
seinämaalauksen alla. 
Valkoisen kirkon pihamaalla hautajaissaattue mustissaan.


Kotimatkalla matkasta väsynyt ja hiljainen lapsi.
Hurmioiduin kahden ruotsinkielisen rouvan keskustelusta rivi taempana. 
Toinen karkeasti viisissäkymmenissä, 
toinen jo harmaahapsinen, ehkä kahdeksankymmentä. 
He keskustelivat syvällisesti elämästä, yksinäisyydestä, 
siitä kuinka vanhempi rouva oli tietoisesti valinnut yksinelämisen 
eikä sitä kadu. 
Kunnioittavasti, syvällisesti ja tasavertaisesti, 
ystävä ystävälle,
ja  minä äimistelin sitä, 
miten harvinaista se onkaan,
kun niin usen vanhuksille puhutaan kuin lapsille 
tai kuin olisivat jo elämästä ja tunteista vieraantuneet. 
Ja miten paljon sitä jääkään paitsi,
kun puhutaan ohi eikä kanssa.


















Irene said...

I love your post. The freedom, the choice... and your photography from the soul. Be happy.

Rebecca Skye Watson said...

Thank dear Rena for such generous, uplifting words.
I wish you light and love this Easter time & beyond! x

Valentina&Luca said...

Dear Rebecca,
I am happy to find your blog by chance (thanks, Pinterest!).
I like your pictures but what made me feel more curious about you were the words, that you include with the pictures. But this reflection about the two ladies that you heard talking about their lives is so beautiful, so true...
Thanks a lot for a bit of bliss, on a rainy night, perfect for good reading.
Take care <3
Florencia
Valencia, Spain

Rebecca Skye Watson said...

Your words make me so glad dear Florencia!
So happy you found me via Pinterest,
which sure can lead to the most wondrous places at times :)
I can just envisage you there on a rainy night,
on the other side of the screen...
Sometimes you find yourself in a moment
that you simply cannot forget,
like that conversation between those two ladies...
And you come away changed in someway,
with new eyes.
Wishing you a beautiful spring
in beautiful Spain
& all the very best!
x

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