"Choose an Age and Stick to it for the Rest of Your Life." - MEETING IRENE

   I met them on the beach at about 5pm Wednesday evening. I had been watching them surf and laughing together for a little while and was aching to photograph them. Watching them bought me so much joy. I wanted to be like them. I wanted to live like that. Free of the world’s “guidelines” to freedom when it came to age. 

I made Rome race back to the house to get my camera per chance they might agree. 

As I approached them I stumbled over my words because I didn’t want to intrude on their togetherness. But I really wanted to document them. Their laughter, their older bodies stumbling through the waves to wait for the next “big one” - I mean, wasn’t life meant to lived just like that? 

Uninterrupted by the world screaming ideas into your head of what beauty and age and relationships is meant to be like.  It was life simplified. It spoke of the beauty of age so powerfully. They had journeyed life I’m sure with all its twists and turns. I needed to listen. I wanted to learn. We needed to listen. We needed to learn. 

“Hi, my name River. I’m a photographer and I really loved watching you out there.” ( I felt like I sounded like an idiot ) 

“Hi!” they both said. “Thankyou.” They continued to walk out of the surf. 

“Wait! Please don’t go. Look,” I stammered,  “I got a lot of joy watching you out there. You really made me want to enjoy life more (ugh... Where was I going with this?! I just wanted to take their photo. I wanted to remember this life lesson.) 

“Look, before you go could you tell me - what’s the secret? Like,  tell me about you? (Ugh, ugh, ugh ... I was stuffing this up because I was emotional ) 

Irene, I’m sure, noticed my nerves and generously welcomed the question. 

“Well, when we were younger we decided to choose an age and stick to it for the rest of our lives.” 

“I love that!” I said, “What age did you choose?”

Irene’s husband spoke up and said “33!” 

“Yeah we decided we wanted to be 33 forever!” 

“Do you mind me asking how old you actually are?” 

Irene smiled - “We are 85 and have been married for 64 years.” 

“Wow! So what’s the secret to a long marriage?” 

Irene’s husband smiled at the question.  “I decided when I married her I I would tell her every day I loved her, and I would always respect the woman she was.

“What about you?” I asked as I faced Irene. 

“I just made a decision to cuddle at the end of every day!” she said and winked at me. 

They allowed me to photograph them that afternoon, and as they walked home hand in hand I was left stirred again to bring something true and beautiful and powerful to this platform.