The Russian Mathematician

I was on line at Whole Foods and Vladimir and his wife, Natasha, were checking out in front of me. Vladimir was dressed very cool - great cap, yellow striped shirt - like a hip looking guy who didn't mean to look hip. I heard the cashier say goodbye to Vladimir in Russian and asked him if he knew him. He said "Yes, he's from Saint Petersburg." I'm not sure why that was my impetus to chase after them but I asked my wife to finish checking out and I ran out the door. I said Hi to him and his wife in the few words I know in Russian and told them about my blog. Natasha told me Vladimir would love to give me advice. A mathematics professor in Russia, he never learned to speak English well. But he told me, "It is now easy for me to learn the English computer because it is the same words, repeat and repeat. But in life it is difficult for me to explain what I say."

Vladimir, age 80.

Miss Mary Mack

I was walking past the neighborhood newstand on my way home when I saw these two women breeze past me. I called out to them and Mary Mack stopped briefly to give me the time of day. I found it interesting when I asked for advice (in a general way), Mary Mack narrowed the theme down to survival for me. Clearly, it's something she's had to deal with a lot in her life. Although, most of my questions were brushed off with funny one-liners, she had some interesting stuff to say in those jokes. "Let every day take care of itself," is her way of moving on when there are hardships. Don't fixate on the things you can't change and just be happy "to be able to wipe my butt." I am one who needs reminding about letting stuff go. Sometimes I fixate on things I can't change, and it's unhealthy for me. Let it go, move on, and be happy I can wipe my own butt.

As I walked away I heard her shout out the window, "Every day's a good day!"

Mary Mack, age 83.