I was out walking the other day around a beautiful part of the beach side paradise that i live in and take for granted. I saw a half familiar face of a Greek women whom i know vaguely staring out into the Pacific Ocean distance and contemplating or meditating about her life and possibly her troubles. I know that she lives out West near Bankstown and she must have travelled a way's to get to this quiet part of a walk around a foreshore. It was quiet this day, not many walkers and not many others at this time of day, sitting down on the many benches along this walk, riding, skating, moving quickly, on the go. It seemed like it was just me and her, both at different times in our lives and maybe both with deeper questions. It was a moment caught in time... I could at once directly relate to her as i already know a bit of her story. A part of me wanted to stop and say hello and say I know you, remember me, but social norms or my own shyness, or really just the realisation that she most likely wanted to be alone with her thoughts and meditation. I thought she probably comes here to get away from it all, and i was consciously not wanting to interrupt her. I felt deeply for her and possibly her struggles and maybe for what she is suffering, has suffered to get her to this spot. I admired her choice of spot and wondered if she comes here often and recharges her batteries.
You see i know her Grand daughter, her grand daughter is my wife's younger sister's child. My wife's sister was once married to this Greek Grandma's son (had a child together) and have been apart for some time and the Greek Grandma has probably not seen her grandchild for some time. A part of me wanted to say to her, your grand daughter has grown up so much and she is happy, and she looks like a Greek beauty, maybe this would cheer her up and she would have many questions and i could give her a lift of her spirit and it would possibly make her day. This random encounter with me, a stranger from her past bringing good news to her. I know that her other son is in prison still and is sometimes writing to his little niece and she has many questions about her dad whom she never sees anymore and her uncle who writes to her from prison (unknown to her). I wonder if the Grandma, would like to reach out to her grand daughter and if her grand daughter would also like to reach out to her & in a way with her Greek heritage and culture that she knows she has, but hasn't been able to really get in contact with.
I am still torn writing this, what should i have done, should i have said hello.. I can't even remember if her English was that good that she would even remember me and understand what i was saying to her. Is it best to leave the meditative person, is that the more worthy tonic, or an interruption with a person she barely knows who has news of her bloodline.. continuing on.. albeit with diminishing cultural input from that Greek side of the family.
I think of my wife's sister as well, what would she think if i made contact, would this bring up the past too much for her, what if the Grandma talks to her son about the encounter and he then decides to see his daughter again also, what troubles could i cause by just saying hello to someone.
