Two Hundred Words: Inspired By…

This picture.  What do you say when a picture says a thousand words, but you are challenged to use just 200?  That was the subject for a recent contest sponsored by Coach and the Sartorialist last week.  Of course, the lure of a Legacy Handbag and an opportunity to meet the man behind one of my favorite sites was certainly a draw, but this picture was so captivating I had to take a shot (no pun intended).  Alas, there was another winner announced today, but I liked what I wrote, and figured you might like it too…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“The day ended just as quickly as it began. The old man finished his shift; bones weary…not from the work, but from the dull ache of a life that might have been.  As he slowly slides his cap onto his head and lights his cigarette, the rush of the nicotine charges his soul with the promise of what’s to come, briefly lifting the malaise that threatens to consume him, refusing to let it take hold.

In his head he rehearses his composition, a brief respite from the long walk to his flat.  He thinks about what’s waiting for him there, and a quick hitch in his step accelerates his pace, anticipation coursing through his weary veins. As he coolly reaches into his pocket gripping the spoils from his hard-earned work, a smile slowly emerges igniting the light in his grey eyes. He begins humming a familiar tune, blending his own musical creation into the comfortable cadence of his favorite song; a song that brings him to a place he can no longer call home, except for in his heart.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as I saw the picture I immediately thought of this song. When I pulled the link to it, I couldn’t believe the resemblance.  It was like the man in the original picture was walking back into time…