Better Than a Thousand Words - In Waterstone's Window - A 9 Day Blog - Day 7.
OK - So it's 10pm on Friday night and I have SO much to tell you and so much I'd like to write. But now I have fallen in love with the faces of Battersea - I have to start with the photos. Tonight I have another abundance of lifetimes. Words, possibly put together into sentences, at the end. Are you sitting comfortably? :-) Here is the joy that my day has been...
OK. So now you've seen these perhaps you can begin to understand why I love it love it love it - in my Waterstone's window. It's not just about the faces of course - it's about the conversations that I've had with many of these people. The last couple for example - a new friend I'd made in the shop and I were wondering why they seemed to be so much in love. I guessed that maybe it was a second marriage - my friend guessed that they must be Americans. ha ha. He was right, as it happened. They had been living in the US for 30 years. I was wrong - they have been together for 30 years are as tactile and affectionate as newly weds... such a joy to see.
The gentleman with a camera above is a freelance photographer - he came and asked if he could take photos of me. I said he could but only if I could take photos of him back. As I told you, I have been asking permission of each person before photographing them. Sometimes people refuse. Here he has captured my friendly protestation as a beautiful and elderly muslim woman refuses me. I don't think she can be identified from this sideways on photo - but her kind natured refusal can be.
So apart from all this fun with my little digital Canon camera, I have continued today as normal. I've again been asked questions by children, 'Why aren't you wearing any shoes?' and adults, 'How can I make money as a writer?' The answers to both these questions is unknown to me.
On Day Seven I have -
Invited every person I've spoken with to events at the SW11 Literary Festival and given out brochures.
Blown up so many red balloons to give to children I began to wonder if puffing that much was good for me or killing me slowly.
Gone on signing books for lovers, aunties and all those that like to buy gifts for themselves.
Explained numerous times why I hesitate when a married couple wants to buy the book, 'Men!' for a single friend.
Told stories about the content of the books. 'Why isn't they Dalai Lama in Tibet?' Well.... er.... the answer here depends on whose point of view you are answering from. Can I interest you in this book?'
'So are these books about Battersea?' Er, no... not exactly. Only that we have to be enlightened wherever we are don't we? I live there you see - on Battersea Park Road.
Will you really come to our reader's group?' Yes, I go to all reader's groups that invite me.
'Can I buy you for my son?' Well, maybe - tell me about him.
Old friends have arrived. New friends have invited me to dinners and for drinks. I have been touched by people's kindness and moved by people's humour time and again.
Tomorrow I have been double booked by the SW11 Literary Festival. In a mess up over dates I have to take a workshop on 'How to Get Published' tomorrow afternoon when I was expecting to be still in the window. The workshop is sold out. It's a 3 hour workshop. I have already decided I am going to go to meet the participants and offer them all an entire day on a different day - for free - if they they will only let me go back to my window tomorrow. If they agree - I'll be out of the workshop venue and back in the window before then can say 'Published.'
If you are coming to see me 'in window' please come tomorrow morning. Sunday - unbelievably - is 'Day 9' - the last day. But happily for me - tomorrow is still day 8. Sweet dreams, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the photos. xxx i
