Random Acts of Kindness

What a wet, blowy, dreich sort of day. I questioned my need to go out - wouldn't it be better to stay warm and cosy inside? - but I needed a blip.

I headed to the art fair at the Dalmeny Drill Hall where A Pair of Blue Eyes was exhibiting. There were some lovely stalls and Jenni and I had a good chat. Her lovely beau Chris even let me take his picture - very kind.

I was heading back into the rain when I overheard a conversation. A woman was debating the pros and cons of buying a beautiful dress that fit her perfectly, suited her complexion, was beyond reasonably priced and made her eyes twinkle. Naturally, I intruded into the conversation. I don't think people in Leith expect a Canadian to suddenly butt in but they were very forgiving. I asked the lovely lady what was stopping her from buying the dress that I thought she had arrived in. I heard her concerns and they echoed a lot of concerns I used to have and thankfully no longer do. I gave her some encouragement and she bought the dress. She said it made her feel amazing - why turn that down? And then she kindly posed for me. The light inside wasn't great but it was a lot worse outside. I think you can see Jan's gracious spirit despite the poor conditions.

And then a funny thing happened. I went off for a last tour of the hall and as I was leaving I caught Jan's eye again. She introduced me to her friends and one of them commented on my squirrel brooch. She asked if I was the random stranger and then gave me a lovely squirrel tree ornament. The virtuous cycle was well under way! Gorgeous!

I then headed into town, met the inimitable Dr T and we saw Nebraska - not unlike the Springsteen album. It was very good if you like bleak.

A couple more photos from today are in a set here.