Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Sitting by the Window

Old-woman

Walking along a street in Arles I saw an older woman sitting by a window. If it hadn't been for the brown worn shutters, and the white sheer curtain that framed her face… I would not have seen the small shadow of a person peering out.

Sitting-by-the-window 

Aiming my lens at the second floor I hoped to capture the stillness of the scene, the age, the solemn color, the moment. The woman by the window didn't sit still…she moved in and out of the shadow of the curtain. I held my camera and waited.

Woman-sitting-by-the-window 

While I was focusing my camera on her silhouette, she turned around and looked directly at me. Her eye and my eye caught each other inside the lens. Instead of taking her picture, I lowered my camera and sheepishly smiled at her, then I held my hand up, sort of as a wave and an apology. Her eyes sparkled as she smiled back, and I knew she didn't mind. I wanted to ring her doorbell and run up the stairs to meet her.

Instead I walked down the street, carrying the image of her smiling at me. What a lovely image to have.

In that moment, in our silent exchange, I felt like we met. Have you ever felt like that? A chance meeting between two people where something goes beyond words, time or activity, and you know you have shared another space and time together?

Comments

48 responses to “Sitting by the Window”

  1. Marie-Noëlle

    Moments when silence speaks out… beyond space and time… yes…

    Reply
  2. Kris H

    Chère Corey!

    Reply
  3. TACE

    Yep, I’ve felt that. It’s one of those things like deja vu, where I feel I’ve felt it but pinning down the exact moment s hard to recall…store clerks…sometimes there’ll be a cashier who doesn’t look half asleep, their eyes sparkle and they SEE you. And my husband and I will crack a joke with them and for a moment it’s like we all know each other and every other person in the store is a zombie. Anyways, blah blah haha, yes I have felt that connection.

    Reply
  4. nel

    Corey i love this post. Sometimes so much more is said in silence, it’s wonderful when we can learn to embrace that.

    Reply
  5. Merisi

    Beautiful glimpse into your world!
    Yes, I have had those moments,
    and I have hesitated to photograph people,
    afraid to disturb them in their privacy.
    I have talked, though, to people I wanted to photograph, and I never got a negative response. I try to explain to them what it was that I wanted to capture. I remember in particular one woman, who could not believe that I was interested in a “simple” door.
    😉

    Reply
  6. erika

    ohh, i know exactly what you mean… enjoy the moment and memory of it. erika

    Reply
  7. Jeanne

    Yes I have have incidents like this happen to me many times.
    Keep sharing the magic.
    Love you
    Jeanne

    Reply
  8. Karin

    On the way to Kentucky this past Friday, my sister and I were following a small truck, in the back of which were sitting two young men. I watched them for a long time as they shaded their eyes from the sun and tried desperately to get comfortable. The time came to drive around them and as we passed them by, my eyes met theirs. I waved to them through my window and received in return broad grins and waves from each of them. I do know exactly what you are speaking of and I am gatful for each time that I get to experience those moments.
    Your photographs of the woman in the window say so much in their quietness. Thank you for sharing them with us.

    Reply
  9. elainey

    …yes..how is it that certain images remain with us all our lives…almost thirty years ago …on a another presidential election day in america i experienced a most profound moment…while waiting in a very long line i saw two very elderly women sitting in the middle of the room…they were allowed to have someone else wait their turn in line…there was a very long line of chairs and they were the only ones sitting… they sat in the middle of the line … yet they sat one seat apart…one woman was white…one woman african american…my first thought was “i wonder for whom they are voting” then “i wonder for whom they first voted and when” then suddenly i looked at them with a clearer eye… still one seat apart…yet they could have each been sitting at the end of the row…one seat apart…closer but still not together… yet nearer than when they first voted…may we each election day draw closer together until we are actually side by side…with no seat apart…if you are an american …go vote …and think of these two women…

    Reply
  10. Vicki

    Another beautiful post!!! A beautiful smile shared by two beautiful women.

    Reply
  11. Kit

    A boy carrying a string instrument on the up escalator as I went down in the London Underground – eyes catching and smiling, against the unwritten blank stare law of the Tube – maybe another story told in a different lifetime.

    Reply
  12. Sheila

    Recently while waiting to be seated at a restaurant, I found myself standing behind an older woman. She turned and I was shocked to see how much she looked like my late mother. She looked right at me and said hello, I smiled back, saying hello too.
    Then, for a second we both froze, before turning and going to our respective tables.
    Several times I glanced up and across the restaurant toward her, only to find she was doing the same.
    Our meal eaten, we began to leave, only to pass her in the lobby; with a final glance we both looked up and mouthed the words.. good bye.I shall always wonder who she was, and I have no doubt she will wonder the same of me.
    The elderly lady you encountered – I think you made her day. A day she no doubt then spent thinking of earlier times, people she had met, and the smiles of a friend.

    Reply
  13. qualcosa di bello

    what a beautiful example of truly meeting someone. i am with you…i would have wanted to ring her doorbell, but i probably would have continued on my way…albeit with a smile in my heart!

    Reply
  14. laura

    i was taking the train from Paris back to Deuil-la-Barre. It was evening. i looked at the train on the next track and there was a dark haired man. i knew not to stare, so lowered my eyes but then glanced back up (it’s the American in me, eh?)..he was still looking. i smiled..and looked away again. When i dared to glance back..he looked and smiled. A real smile. Big, fun -one that made me laugh out loud. As my train pulled out – i waved.
    i often wonder about him. i hope his life is happy and full and that the smile i saw was a real reflection of the joy he felt inside.
    i know it sure made my day!

    Reply
  15. Beachy

    What a beautiful capture, Corey! Your actions speak volumes of love, and it rests around you like a halo, for others to witness!

    Reply
  16. Denese

    A beautiful moment for you, but probably more of a gift for her.

    Reply
  17. Mo’a

    I have had many moments like that. I am reluctant to photograph people I don’t know…I feel that I am invading their privacy.
    I have also had the feeling of a connection with a person through a smile…a lovely feeling.
    Happy belated Birthday to you wonderful Mother 🙂

    Reply
  18. anna

    Ooooh, yes! I’ve experienced these moments of grace as well, each time with profound gratitude. It always makes me think, “Ain’t Life grand?!!”

    Reply
  19. Ed in Willows

    That reminds me of the James Blunt song, “You’re Beautiful”.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y7WDWP8WMs&feature
    I think we have all had that chance encounter where a connection is made. Years later, have you ever thought about that person and wondered where they are and what their life is like?

    Reply
  20. Suzanne

    Oh Corey…
    Yes, I have experienced that.
    Love*

    Reply
  21. suzanne, the Farmer’s Wife

    Yes Corey, I have experienced this. There is a problem inherent with being a photographer and that is invading people’s space with the lens. It’s very difficult for me to photograph people. Normally when they realize they’re being photographer the entire atmosphere changes and it is no longer candid.
    You’ve had a wonderful moment with this elderly woman. I’m thinking she would have loved to visit with you. She looks very lonely sitting in that window. Perhaps she isn’t lonely at all, but we all create our own storyline behind the photo.
    I am a very direct person and I have the habit of looking at everyone straight in the eye. I can sense alot about people by simply looking at them and it’s wonderful when people respond.
    – Suzanne, the Farmer’s Wife

    Reply
  22. Sher

    I, too, would have feared she viewed me as being invasive – but she smiled at you and probably is enjoying the same memory. I’ll bet she would have loved for you to spend a few moments more of her day with her.

    Reply
  23. Marilyn

    Yes, I have had this experience recently. About a week ago I was riding the bus in Rome and sat beside an elderly Italian lady. She did not speak English, but I could feel she wanted to communicate. We enjoyed the silence of sitting together, then when I left I gave her a small wave goodbye and she seemed happy to be recognized and waved back with a smile. These small encounters make life more special. Thanks for sharing you small encounter with the lady behind the curtain.

    Reply
  24. Miss Sandy

    I have experienced this kind of connection, once it was so vivid that 30 years later I can recall it as if it were yesterday. The eyes are said to be the windows to the soul. I think this was a soul connection you made, an understanding passing between two people with no words needed. Your reward for having connected was her smile!

    Reply
  25. Rosemary

    Hi Corey,
    I think sometimes that is a special way to meet someone. Very nice!
    Rosemary

    Reply
  26. Jeanette

    I love this post. I’m going to carry it with me today as I go out to run errands – and I hope long after that as well. Really lovely moment – thanks for sharing it.

    Reply
  27. Kris

    What a very reflective photo. I wonder what she was looking at and what she was thinking? Moments like yours are very rare. Most people avoid looking directly at you. That she smiled I believe means “thank you for noticing me”.
    Kris

    Reply
  28. Liz Ness

    There’s always so much to love on your blog — this is no exception. Stirs up all sorts of ideas, stories, questions…

    Reply
  29. pam

    The woman in your photo makes me think of Tasha Tudor. I love that so many places in France look as if they are frozen in time. I am forever trying to imagine what life was like a hundred, or more, years ago. I gravitate towards elderly people and love to listen to them tell the stories of their life. I am sure that the connection you made with this dear soul meant so much to her; touched her heart and made her smile.

    Reply
  30. Tamara Straight Poop

    Yes! I wanted to share a picture so I wrote a post on my blog in response to yours. Hope you like the image – it’s one of my favourites from a trip to Europe last summer. The pic is from Chamonix.

    Reply
  31. tut-tut

    Lovely; she seems of a different period altogether.

    Reply
  32. cheryl

    Corey,
    That’s how I often feel when I read your posts, and nod my head and know that “my friend whose blog I read,” as I refer to you
    is thinking exactly what I would be thinking, were I in your shoes.
    I feel familiar…strange, no?
    Peace,
    Cheryl

    Reply
  33. tamara giselle

    captivating and very poignant message. one could be taken in by the largeness of the window, shutters and curtain and miss the gentle spirit sitting at the edge.
    what a beautiful post. as always!
    i truly appreciate getting to view through your camera lens what you see and experience in a day of life. i truly do.

    Reply
  34. nancy

    yes…always a great moment.
    xxnancy

    Reply
  35. Shelley Noble

    Stunning capture.

    Reply
  36. An Enchanted Cottage

    Why do I have the feeling that you will still be stopping by and ringing her doorbell at some time in the not-too-distant future? From the little I know of you through reading your touching blog, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if you bring her a small bouquet of flowers to go along with the smile and hug you give her…

    Reply
  37. Alice

    The most treasured moments …the unexpected ones!

    Reply
  38. Ellen Cassilly

    The elderly women is probably telling her side of the story to her friend this afternoon.

    Reply
  39. Betty M

    I wish I was related to you.

    Reply
  40. Linda

    Oh, I love this scenario. I have these moments on a regular basis, and love the “God wink” that joins two random souls for just a second. They are often the moments that I carry for years, and I always wonder if the other person carries them as well.

    Reply
  41. kas

    Yes, me too. A stranger was looking for a classroom at the college I was attending so I escorted him. I will never forget the smiling thank you his gorgeous blue owl shaped eyes gave me as I walked away.
    One year later, in the Autumn as college was starting up again I was gathering the new students together to start a tour of the school. I looked into the crowd and saw him, standing there, head & shoulders above the rest and I lost my breath. Just the sight of him. His beauty. His graciousness. His humor. We knew each other instantly somehow.
    Fast forward to today (18+ years later)and I am so very thankful to report we’ve been together since. I am blessed to be married to the kindest and best of men. A man I had an instant connection with. ‘Oh, sigh, my swooning heart. . .

    Reply
  42. Elaine L.

    I’ve had those experiences and usually it’s a fleeting moment without an opportunity to make more of a contact with the person.
    You meet eyes with the person and it’s as though you know the person.
    ~elaine~

    Reply
  43. stljoie

    I did homeless outreach. I usually located someone by finding hidden bed sites. I would leave a package of crackers or cookies and then come back the next day and if they were gone I knew someone was there…so I would leave something again and after a few times I would leave a note. The moment when we actually met was always a delight. They were always happy to find the gift giver out and I had already opened the door to establishing a relationship to gain their trust so I could bring them to safety and services. I loved it.

    Reply
  44. stljoie

    also…I thought of you when I visited this site…
    http://enseignedegersaint.typepad.fr/provence/2008/10/lace.html

    Reply
  45. Paula

    Yes Corey, I felt that way when I first found you.

    Reply
  46. Kathy McElroy

    I will be in Paris next week. Any good inexpensive cafe recomendations? I love looking at all your wonderful photo’s. I wonder if we took a picture of the same house front. I was in Provence a couple of years ago. You can see it here,
    http://kathymcelroy.typepad.com/photos/trip_to_europe/a4.html
    Isn’t that funny. I was so struck by it’s beauty.

    Reply
  47. Julie

    I really like these pictures. I wouldn’t have seen her in the first one if you hadn’t mentioned. It kind of scared me. But I like it.

    Reply
  48. Alison Whittington

    I have felt that way, and it is always remarkable. I don’t forget those moments, or those people, who I’ve never actually met, easily.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions