“What an amazing hat! Where’d you get it?”
“Thanks. This hat’s from Connecticut.”
“I didn’t know they had cowboy hats in Connecticut.”
“They have cowboy hats everywhere.”
“Fair enough.”
“It was hot and it was sunny and we were driving through Connecticut and there it was.”
“I betcha got some stories with that hat. That seems like the type of hat that gets you into trouble.”
“No, it’s the type of hat that people stare at. Even here I’m surprised that people stare. I expect that more where I’m from.”
“Where you from?”
“Rhode Island. I’m not from there, I should say I’m living there.”
“But you’re living here now?”
“No, just visiting. Are you from here?”
“I’m from Atlanta but I’ve been here about 6 years so I’m here here now.”
“I love Atlanta! I was there about three years ago.”
“Cool! What were you doing there?”
“Nothing.”
“What part of town were you hanging out in?”
“Everywhere. The only place I didn’t like was Buckhead. They didn’t like me there.”
“They didn’t like me so much either. I like Midtown-”
“Spent a lot of time in Midtown.”
“East Atlanta.”
“Little Five.”
“Yep.”
“I was sorta spooked by Underground Atlanta.”
“Yeah, no one from Atlanta goes there.”
“Well I’m not from there so I thought it was okay. But I thought it was strange that a whole city was built on top of another city. It seemed odd.”
“I think the story is that that was the part that got burned down during the Civil War and they’re trying to keep their history.”
“Well, askewed is how they like to keep their history. ‘Oh, it’s Scarlett running down the staircase.’”
“Oh man, your necklace is beautiful too. What is it?”
“Citrine.”
“I have some Citrine on my altar at home.”
“And yours is Amethyst. You know Amethyst will actually become Citrine if you heat it up just right.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, they’re one in the same stone.”
“I did not know that. Where do you get your crystal knowledge from?”
“I used to be a jeweler, back in a life when I was young.”
“Do you know the properties of Citrine?”
“I used to but that information got pushed out a long time ago so other stuff could get in.”
“I think Amethyst is supposed to cleanse your third eye chakra.”
“Well actually the Greeks used it for sobriety. Supposedly you could keep a piece of Amethyst under your tongue and then drink as much as you want and then you wouldn’t get drunk. Let me tell you that is not true! And it’s really not fun either, most of the time you’re just trying to keep yourself from swallowing the stone.”
“I’m Garry by the way.”
“Randall. You like it out here?”
“I love it.”
“What do you do out here?”
“I’m an artist.”
“And you can live out here?!?!”
“This year I’m finally starting to figure that out. What about you?”
“I’m a painter and a writer. I’ve been working on an autobiography about a boy who gets raped by his father…and survives multiple traumas.”
“That sounds like a powerful story. I’m sure lot’s of people will be healed by hearing about that.”
“I’ve been trying to blog about it but I’ve been putting it off.”
“Well I went back to Atlanta this year and was working through a lot of family stuff. Normally I tell other people’s stories but this time I was telling my own family’s story. My grandmother, my mother. I wrote about my relationship with my dad, and it doesn’t sound as intense as your situation-”
“It’s all painful.”
“Yeah, and it was really cathartic. And, it was one of the most popular things I ever wrote. People were liking it and sharing it.”
“Because you weren’t hiding anymore.”
“Exactly.”
“Were you ever afraid, just before you hit send, that you were doing something you couldn’t come back from?”
“Well, I think I felt so much heaviness at the time and I just wanted to release it. I knew it was time and I was just lost in getting it out.”
“Yeah…I hear you.”
“Would it be okay if I took your picture and told the story of this interaction? I think you’d be amazing at how supportive people would be. We’ve got a good community going.”
“Absolutely.”
“Awesome.”
“Thank you Garry.”
“My pleasure Randall.”
“Now you’ve gotta come in here and let me buy you a drink.”