A Curious Couple

I’m sitting at my local library, distractedly working through a brief To Do list, unsure why I haven’t ordered internet for our short term apartment lease. We’re never really there, plus I can always hot spot, but truthfully, it’s such a beige space that I find an excuse to work elsewhere whenever I’m in town. It’s a great location, so walking to coffee, parks, and the library are bright spots worth celebrating.

Our home renovation is moving along, although it seems as though we may never return. Researching historic renovations has been so much fun, but finding the perfect match for our 1874 Italianate villa style home has been challenging. Old meets new, modern meets vintage, cost of goods meets historic inflation.

I’m fixated on a few features, currently the fireplace. How does it speak to the old house, but operate in a new, age-friendly family room? Do the tiles invoke the warmth that a 19th century fireplace represents? I think I can see the Mediterranean in their reflection. I am pleased.

And so it goes, room by room, feature by feature, windows, handles, stair rails, fixtures, where will the dog eat? You might say petty decisions in today’s distressed world, but it is part of my universe currently, so I will plug along at this library table, or wherever I land each week, until it’s complete.

In the midst of an email reply, I notice an older couple, perhaps a couple of decades older than me, delightfully pouring over a newspaper at the next table as they read the current temperatures of favorite cities aloud. They’re swapping exclamations when they read that London was nearly 100º today.

“London is NEVER that hot,” she squeals.

“Wait, look at Cairo? (84º) Do they have air conditioning?”

“Remember that restaurant in Lisbon? I wonder if we could sit outside today? It’s 77º - of course we could do that! They had those fans, remember?”

They wandered on, hunched over the temperature chart together, exchanging a few facts as they recalled special memories. I heard no mention of a next trip, nor any indication there might be a time crunch. Perhaps they’d discuss global warming later. No, it was pure wonder, sitting at a library table with mesmerizing information from a stack of newsprint.

I stopped my email replies and sat back to enjoy their curious exchange. I wanted to know their stories, hear about their travels, but finally decided just to watch the intriguing theater four feet away from me. Perhaps because they reminded me that curiosity is healthy at every age. It’s a key component of intellectual wellbeing, especially as we move through life stages. Equally important, it’s a reminder that simple joys exist in this complex world.

Back to my emails and fireplace surround…