'The Audacity of Age'

This very old woman, probably in her '80s, appears unfazed as she

starts to walk across one of Kyiv, Ukraine's busiest streets, across from

a major and historical food market. Although there is a

pedestrian 'underpass' nearby, she has chosen to cross the street

directly, in face of very heavy traffic (and did so unscathed) -- perhaps a

study in sheer cussedness. Your rating and critiques are invited and

most welcome. If you rate harshly, very critically, or just wish to make

an observation,please submit a helpful and constructive comment;

please share your photographic knowledge to help improve my

photography. Thanks! Enjoy! John

Here, a larger aperture was chosen, to slow the shutter speed sufficiently so that while she is slow-moving she will appear 'sharp' but for cross-flowing traffic, it would appear as a blur, emphasizing its speed and the contrast between her sharpness (and slowness) and traffic's blurriness (hence speed).

 

Another study in contrasts.

 

Of course, modern transport vs. traditional (foot)

 

And spanning the ages;

 

Autos and other transport was rare when Ukraine was Soviet, but now it is choked during daytime with traffic, which is a sign of the political (as well as economic) times.

 

John (Crosley)

Excellent photo John and your story places the finishing touch! Very well told on both counts! Cheers, Doug.

Another wonderful capture you have made. I had an elderly patient once tell me that you are only so many heartbeats, foot-steps, or wags of the jaw. Appearently this lady does not wish to use up her count of steps. As always, thank you for sharing.

 

-Dave

It's an easy story to tell.

 

I, through a Ukrainian friend, tried to give this old woman money, but didn't have smaller change (small money) to give her.

 

No merchant nearby would give change.

 

The explanation: She has plenty of money and a very large flat. She doesn't need the money, at least according to the merchants who sell to her.

 

But she is willing to cross busy traffic without going underground where there is no danger. She may be stubborn, addled, impervious to danger or just physically unable with her canes to go underground on the steps with her shopping.

 

I won't know, probably ever.

 

Life's full of unanswered mysteries.

 

From her looks, though, she's very old (she has a very old face, but not 'thin' like some of the beggar women who have very bony faces).

 

Doug, thanks for the compliment, especially on my ability to 'tell a story'.

 

John (Crosley)

 

 

It is a commonly held misbelief that we have a finite amount of anything in us, be it heartbeats, steps, comments, or whatever.

 

In reality, rather than have a fixed sum of anything it seems that 'the more you use it, the less likely you are to lose it.'

 

Exercise on knees that are deteriorating may actually strengthen then and at least (under last studies) does not accelerate their decline. Working out on a Stairmaster may increase the heart rate, but over time it also slows it and increases life, most probably, adding to the total number of heartbeats (and healthy ones) one has over lifetime.

 

And so on.

 

Rather than 'use it' and 'lose it', it's if you don't 'use it' you 'lose it'.

 

That old woman was engaging in faulty logic, though it appears to 'make sense' if one does not take life's self-renewing properties into account, as doctors and scientists have learned to do recently.

 

So, of Kyiv's older ladies (women?), the ones on the street tend probably to be the fittest and probably the longest lived, I think.

 

It may actually be against good health to stay in one's flat and not exercise like the old beggar women who comb the streets. Although theirs surely is a hard life, they seem to get around pretty well, even with bent, osteoporotic old backs.

 

And very, very old age.

 

Remember, many of these women (like Nina, the old woman I posted a photo of last year) survived many hardships, and (like that Nina) survived such things as the Battle of Stalingrad or the Nazi pounding and demolishment of much of Kyiv.

 

Surviving inflation is a different challenge entirely, though.

 

It is interesting to try to capture it in photos (a task I did not consciously set out to do; it just is something that I 'saw' and 'captured' without any sort of 'inspiration' or foresight.

 

Thanks for the compliment, Dave.

 

John (Crosley)

John, I had this all figured out until I read your commentary about her level of wealth. The image had me conjuring up a sad, depressing story about old age and loneliness. It is a most compelling shot anyway. I love that you make a point to get "the whole story" about your images.

She had me fooled too.

 

Not all old, even sad looking people are poor (look at her clothes, for instance, in Ukraine of all places). It's no wonder nobody would make change for me to give her some money.

 

Thanks for the compliment - I believe in the truth (at least mostly) ;~)

 

john

 

John (Crosley)

This is an absolutely STUNNING achievement that says so much without appearing to try. Nice title, as well. Congrats.

Emmanual E.

 

Your comment, so unexpected, certainly has made my day.

 

I pride myself on my captioning (titling) too.  I once made a living doing that among other things.

 

Best to you, and thanks for letting me know how well this resonated with you.

 

john

 

John (Crosley)