The Future is Bright

I saw my future self today and I quite liked him. Sally, Sue and I were walking from the bus up the hill to the Auckland Museum. I fell into conversation with a man walking with his wife who’d alighted from the same bus. He looked to be about 90 but he could still keep a fair pace up the hill. I should say that he started it all.

His opening remark was innocent, the sort I might make, although perhaps a little cornier: “how come you have two lovely ladies with you, while I have just one?” And so began a long chat as we moseyed along up the hill. Sally and Sue were soon pulled in.

Like me he had his set of anecdotes. Except that his were from 1953 and clearly well used but still fit for purpose. They kept us amused all the way up the hill. You could see his wife with apologetic eyes signalling, “please, take no mind, he’s always doing this”.

But it was fine. He and I agreed that making conversations with strangers was one of the joys of life (a word of caution: don’t try it with 15-25 year old girls – they don’t get the humour and just think you are weird). So we parted as he and his understanding wife headed off to the neighbouring Winter Gardens. In just 200 metres I had learned such a lot about him, but more importantly, about myself. For that, hopefully, is me in 20 years time.