Thursday, November 1, 2007

Wrinkles and a smile

Two things i noticed in the first 30 seconds of meeting Mr. Laurent. His awesome wrinkles, and a smile that reminded me of a teenager's. Although he turns 75 this coming January, his aged face and worn hands show the signs of having seven kids and 16 grandchildren, making him appear a decade older. Its not until he laughs, which he does often, that a feeling of youth springs forward and his weathered features become almost secondary to his genuine, youthful grin. Despite his age, he has surpassed a much deserved retirement along time ago. With at least 6 children and 8 adults crowded into his cozy living room he explained how he spends most of his time now. He still works on cars, washing machines, tractors, and about anything else with a motor or moving parts. Noticing a bit of shock in my face as he gave me a laundry list of daily jobs and tasks, he responded, "Retirement is like letting a house just sit there. Eventually it will just fall apart. The same thing happens to our bodies."




2 comments:

D. Bayne Johnson said...

I love the way you're able to get to the core of who someone is so easily. The light plays to the subject...nice shot.

Emily Rose said...

damn kohl. do you realize how amazing you are? you are a fantastic photographer.