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Little Treasures everywhere.

It was a gorgeous sunny day in Rome, Georgia; perfect for a walk to practice cane skills and mental mapping of the area around downtown. Since my student had lived in Rome most of her life, it was fun to guide her through re-learning how to access all of her favorite places non-visually. We planned to walk past the fountains and take the pedestrian bridge over the river. It was breezy and smelled like spring. Next, we explored the path that ran along the tops of the river banks towards the old railroad bridge. As we climbed up to meander along the old railroad bridge, I noticed that people had placed locks along the rails. I recounted the story of love locks, as I remembered it to my client, as I quickly looked up on my phone, the story behind the tradition of putting locks on bridges. As we walked, my client began to run her hands along the rail, feeling the locks. “How many are there?” she asked. “Hundreds.” I replied. In silence she walked, trailing the locks, stopping now and then to explore one, asking me what they said. We talked about the new locks, so shiny and smooth — and the older ones full of rust and rough to the touch. It was very intimate, touching the hearts and souls of so many who had come to place a symbol of their love on the bridge. I was thrilled that such an unexpected find on our walk, could provide such a rich tactile exploration for my client. This photo was taken when my client found that this old lock had a little flap that one could push to the side to uncover the keyhole. Uncovering these moments of wonder while out and about on our walks with clients, often reminds me to slow down and take time to really look and SEE what little treasures we have around us in our own communities and back yards.