A much needed lift

17th May 2020

I’ve been on an emotional rollercoaster during lockdown. At times feeling full of inspiration and energy ; other times slumping into a self loathing ball of guilt. I have no desire to embark on a project and can’t snap out of it…
I work best under pressure and I am most productive when time is sparse. With an abundance of hours I feel like I’m standing in the middle of a messy room and don’t know where to start; 3 hours later I am still staring at a stain on the wall. Carte blanche.

So when the email from Firecracker pinged into my inbox I felt uplifted and memories of the project were summoned to the surface. I have been lamenting for those adventures and itching to flee once more.

The Shouk was overcrowded and I felt miniature as I peered above the bobbing heads, searching for the familiar coffee stall where I said we should meet. I slithered in and perched on a keg swinging my legs impatiently as Moshe messaged to say he was lost and late.
Dressed in full Hassidic attire I spotted him amongst the sea of bodies and waved. He was indecisive , something I noticed as obscure – as if he was not familiar with choosing his own beverage . I ordered him an iced coffee and introduced myself.
It felt a little awkward but his general warmth was infectious and within 20 minutes I felt like we were becoming pals. His broken English frustrated him but through Google translate we spoke in giggles and the restraint encouraged blunt conversation – something I always favour. After an hour a crowd gathered around us and people started taking pictures. I was naively baffled.
Why?
Moshe explained it was because it was surreal to see someone so Orthodox conversing with someone like myself : not only a woman, but one dressed so ‘inappropriately’. Within a few minutes the crowd increased. Soon at least 20 people were holding their phones above their heads as if at a concert. I will never forget that moment . It seems so alien when I consider that Moshe ( who later revealed his name is actually Baruch) and I have now been friends a while and had many adventures together…

More soon

OAO