Member-only story
I Met A Man Who Changed My Life In Just A Few Minutes
A man of peace.
I live close to the waterfront on the North Shore of Vancouver. One day, I was down at the sea walk getting a few photographs of freighters' entering and exiting Vancouver harbor for a piece I was writing on cargo ships and their impact on the ocean when I noticed a man in saffron robes and sandals gazing and seemingly mesmerized by the view of the busy harbor. Obviously, he was a monk and he piqued my curiosity.
It is very rare to see a monk in the upscale district of West Vancouver and he must have sensed my presence as he turned around, saw me looking in his direction, and smiled. He had a camera in his hand that he held up and gestured to me, seeming to indicate he wanted me to take his photo. I walked over and naturally, I asked in English, my only language, if that was what he wanted. He took a slip of paper from his robe and handed it to me. On it was written, “I am from Tibet.”
He held up his small camera and pointed at me and then pointed at himself. Obviously, he did want me to take his photo. I ended up taking several of him with Stanley Park across the water as a backdrop in a couple, Lions Gate Bridge in another and the University of BC located on Point Grey across the water in another. He viewed his photos and then smiled at me. and nodded his approval.
