I recently did a feature on my father dealing with old age and making his first visit to the Senior Center. I sat down after the visit and just watched him as we talked and every now and then would take a picture. As always, click each photo for a better view.
What got my attention as I seriously studied him was his hands and his relationship with his walking stick since his hip surgery.
This one I found very telling because I discovered my father is shy... he does not like to look into the camera. To get him to face the camera I tried telling him jokes and if you look closely there is the hint of a smile.
I particularly like this one. There is something about the way he holds his hands I find interesting. If you look closely it is clear these are the hands of a working man. And, though frail there is still a sense of strength in them.
I asked him about his walking stick (that he calls "My Stick") and watched as he described what it allows him to do. As he talked about it, you got the impression something so simple was one of his prized possessions.
What also struck me about his description was the almost loving caress he gave the stick as he talked about it. Notice his grip
