I don’t have it, but they do. He read out the article about them to me as I made supper yesterday. They own the Hungarian restaurant in town. He’s really a doctor. And he, and his wife, have shut up shop and gone to Afghanistan. They want to help. Taking nothing but bare essentials and wearing t-shirts with DOCTOR across the front they will go to offer assistance and aid. They’ve done it before in Syria, Africa and other war zones but always with the protection of the UN and other NGO. This time they are going it alone. (Though how they will get there God alone knows.) I am in awe of their simple humanity and the willingness to act on their desire to offer succour.
And what of the rest of us more ordinary mortals. Well, we have our ups and downs. Mine were down yesterday as I tried and failed to draw well. I went out early, as I promised but there was no hub, no energy, just a few joggers and early promenaders. I did make marks but I was self-conscious and awkward. There were the two detectorists for example, one who had all the kit, including knee pads (he kept jumping down on one knee to dig) and the clearly homeless man (he had a huge coat on and rucksack) who appeared to picking up stones and shiny things from the shingle. Then there was the fisherman, dropping his line over the Promenade rail. And then later the smoking woman. None of them were still enough for me to draw a decent reflection them – they were skittish, fidgety, like me I suppose. Walking home (he came to meet me looking fresh and handsome in a new shirt) we came upon the first round of the Round Britain Cycle Race. (Is it a race?) It took us completely by surprise. Lights flashing, cops on motorcycles roaring through the main streets, a rather meagre cluster of bikes and then more roaring from their support vehicles. And all the elderly crawling from their easy chairs to stand still slippered in the doorways and on pavements to wave at them. It was hard not be moved. And Llanbadarn Road absolutely gridlocked.
I think about my drawing all the time. How to do better. I feel my dips and later, though still cross, I experimented with white space. I need to look more – always and try other ways of communicating.
He said yes. So we will see what they say.
