VIEWS OF BANDON

Norm needed to have some new eye glasses checked out the other day up in Bandon. While there, the sun was out and it was turning out to be a nice day so we took a tour down by the jetty. There were a lot of beachcombers and I wondered if any of them were looking for some objects that might have come over from Japan. This first photo was one I took of some of the seastacks from behind the grasses. I like the soft focus of the rocks in contrast to the sharpness of the closer grasses. The second photo was one of a couple of men who looked to me to be pretty experienced agate hunters. They had their round sticks that they would roll over the rocks and with eagle eyes, ready to catch the milky look of the agate.

Today we went back up, this time for Norm to actually see the optomotrist. I don't know if any of you have seen the story that has recently been making the rounds through forwarded emails and on Facebook about the woman at the airport. She had bought a bag of cookies to eat while she waited for her flight. The bag of cookies sat down on a seat beside her. A man was sitting on the other side of the cookie-occupied seat. She took a cookie.........he took a cookie...........she took a cookie.......he took one. You get the idea. She was mildly annoyed and more so as finally there was only one cookie. He took it, but broke it in two and placed the remaining half back on the seat.

But she was so outraged that he had eaten half her cookies, then the insult to take the last one....she huffed off very angry. Once on her flight she settled in and then opened her carry-on and there was HER unopened bag of cookies. It had been his that she had been eating. One of those times,like those that many of us have had during our lives, where we wish we could go back and undo some act, some words, some behavior..........

Well, with that story still somewhat fresh in my mind, today as I waited in the outside office for Norm to see his doctor, an elderly, robust little man came bustling through the door. Over to the desk, where he was welcomed warmly and a little chat followed. Very short chat, though. It was obvious this man had places to go and things to do! There is a plate of cookies sitting on the counter for the doctor's patients and the man asked which were the cookies that had NO nuts? The receptionist got up and pointed out which ones were nut-free and offered him a napkin. He took the napkin, carefully patted his mouth and helped himself to a cookie. He asked them when they wanted to see him again and was answered........"anytime you'd like, Mr. ......." So, he happily turned around and headed for the door, knowing he had been appreciated and was more than welcome to return. I was sitting by the door and as he neared me, and he did have a most lively bounce to his walk, so....he started to open the door then looked over at me and said "Want a bite?" with a big grin on his face! It made my day! Simple little human encounters and heart to heart encounters. We just never know when the smallest word, the tiniest smile might mean more than we know to someone we don't know.......or better yet, do know. How great it would be for me to remember this ALL the time. And a bite of that particular cookie was really, really tempting!