Occasionally, we allow ourselves to close our eyes and drift back to another place in time. We recollect on our journey and how we got down that long, winding road to the present day. Thinking back on the bumps and bruises. The happy moments, as well as, the sad. Compiled, those multitudes of experiences have molded us into the wonderful people we have become today!
Today, I think back on one particular happy moment. I was blessed to meet an amazing woman named Greta Epstine, wife to Mortimer Epstine. She was such a lovely lady. She started an art gallery and studio out of her travel agency, which, each unsurprisingly, complimented the other very well. The Old Town Gallery was on SW 2nd street in the heart of Ft Lauderdales art district. A quaint boutique, It was a beautifully decorated hodgepodge of consigned paintings, sculptures and photography of local artists towards the front, desks for the travel agency in the middle, and the art studio towards the rear. It was Greta's dream.
Greta was Jewish, as you probably deciphered from her name. In her mid sixties when we met, Greta was a fashion statement. She walked, talked and dressed with sophistication and class. She wore a rock on her finger the size of Mt. Everest. It was too heavy to rest on top of her ring finger without bellying up. One day, I was looking at a map behind her desk that was saturated with red pins. I asked, "What do the red pins represent?" She replied "Those are all of the places that Mortimer and I have traveled." My mouth hit the floor. She was so humble. I truly admired the woman and for some reason, we naturally connected.
Greta believed in me as a poet. She encouraged me to sharpen my craft and use it. She gave me the opportunity to be the "main event" at her grand opening of Old Town Gallery! I am still appreciative to this day.
