Eddie On The Beachwall

In my late teens early twenties, I met up with this guy on the beach, my neighborhood small beach I practically lived on. He was sitting on the seawall playing a guitar in his own little world and I too was on the seawall maybe thirty feet away listening. The music was faint due to the distance and he was on an electric guitar with no amp. I knew almost all the beach dwellers, it was after all a neighborhood beach and not a beach to write home about. In all my years of camping out on the beach I had seen and met some strangers that caught my curiosity but this guy was a misplaced musician wannabe and being the poet wannabe, I was and am, well ….

   I did make my way over to him so I could hear him play, I sat a couple feet away giving him his space. He seemed almost pleased he had audience and I was pleased he didn’t shoo me away. We ended up chatting about music and writing and dreams and then he introduced himself as Eddie, during that period of my life I was passionate about photography but didn’t have the money or the real skill to get a “real” camera and take real photos. I had one of those cheap ass disc cameras that came out around that time. For what it was it did its job but compared to a 35mm or even the smartphone clicks of today; they were crap. When I mentioned that I was an inspiring photographer looking for subjects he automatically volunteered. I mean really, a guy in jeans, boots, white button shirt and a black vest with a guitar. I knew he knew that our beach photo shoot was not going to catapult either of us to stardom and although he did ask for copies when I got them developed I never saw him again.

   Up until 15 years ago I had those pictures and from time to time I would pull them out and smile, That memory is embossed in my mind and I think perhaps the way he was dressed as well because everytime I see a guy dressed in jeans, white shirt, vest and boots I am drawn and I smile.