“The path isn’t a straight line. It’s a spiral.
You continually come back to the things you thought you understood and see deeper truths.”
~ Unknown
Kate Black’s Row by Row: Talking with Kentucky Gardeners was recently published. Tonight, she did a reading and book signing at Morris Books. I missed the reading (work sure gets in the way sometimes) but I got there just in time to buy the last copy. It’s pretty awesome to have a sell-out crowd. Kate is reluctant to be photographed, but she quite willingly smiled for this one. That’s a sure sign of happiness.
Kate and I were co-workers until she retired in 2013. Two weeks ago, she gave an impressive presentation on Row by Row at the Oral History Association conference in Tampa. The following day, she and I took the river walk to a local eatery for some lunch. I got to know more about Kate in that hour than I had in the whole twelve years we worked together (to be fair, our work paths didn’t cross often). Our talk was a highlight of the conference for me, and I was honored to get to know Kate outside the confines of work. I feel like I made a friend.
And then there’s Deirdre Scaggs, current co-worker and Row by Row’s photographer. Deirdre has become so accustomed – aggravated, annoyed, and other adjectives – to my camera that this is now her normal reaction when she sees me. What you don’t see is the warm smile and giggle that follows. She’s a big kidder, so I take her stuck out tongue as a sign of friendship and trust. After I post this, however, the latter may no longer apply. (takes one to know one, as they say) It was a fun evening and I’m so proud of these women for their good works. I feel fortunate to be among them.
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