We Do Write Ourselves: Mrs. Mercy

(From Oct 9,2019)

Mrs. Mercy—No sooner than my boarding the train and grabbing a seat did I look up and see her sitting in front of me, scratching away in the first pages of her journal. Her grip on her pen was intense and gentle; her penmanship was deliberate and curious as she intentionally impressed every word on the page.

In true diarist fashion all too familiar, she glanced at the young lady to her left (her daughter, Jessica) and asked, “What’s today’s date?” The 16th was the young lady’s gentle answer. And that’s when I reluctantly interrupted. I’d know a diarist’s request for the date anytime.  Noting her silver hair and mature face, I asked how long she’d been keeping a journal “this is my first one”.

She started it in July and was a few pages in. “I’m trying to make it a regular thing.”

She was gracious enough to allow me to make a few images of her. As intrigued and as amazed as I was, I am learning that all good stories need not belong to me. I didn’t interrupt her any further.

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