John Kitsco

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I had know her briefly some forty-three years ago. It was a
casual date. She had long blonde hair, was educated and certainly very articulate. She was leaving on a plane for
Montreal to study art...Somehow I did not expect to see her
again...

But five years ago while out about on some errands fate would
have it that we would indeed meet. But this time my hair was
getting gray and I took only casual notice of a lady taking
bottles and cans from a can on the street.

Just another bag lady I thought. But as I walked by, that
sweet voice from the past I could not forget.  'oh John...is that
you?' I looked at this older lady, looking sad and alone and
I replied: 'Susan? My God, can that really be...' and she
told me about going to Montreal, studying art for a time,
living with a fellow who had a bad temper. He moved out.
She moved on. Now she was back from where she started.
Only this time, on the street. Suffering depression. Still
doing a drawing or a painting. She put on weight. The once
beautiful Susan with the long blonde hair had changed...

And yes, how life can change. How we take it all for granted.
Susan suffers from a mental illness. Yet she remembered
her friend from years ago. And I remembered Susan. We
stood briefly on the street and hugged. Crowds went by
oblivious to this reunion of sorts. Clouds moved on. And on
a radio from a passing car waiting at the lights John Denver
sang....'some days are diamonds, some days are stones...'

I thought about Susan over the years and wondered from time
to time how she was doing and hoping life would be good for
her inspite of the fact that each of us never knows where the
bend in the road will take us...