Studying in a cafe

It was on the street, a table before a cafe in Paris.

I was passing, four years ago, and then, suddenly stopped by her absorbtion in her work. I was past 70 and she not more then 20, but suddenly I identified with her, seen myself in her.

I still love to study and always loved it.

When did I begin liking, then loving to study?

It begun perhaps with books with folklore stories, or later, with the diary I begun to write of my life and sentiments, with my connection with the writers and speaking back, sometimes writing back on the side of the page to them.

It continued when suddenly at 18 in the tyrannous communist regime of Romania, I was forbidden to apply to university, to continue my studies. Of course, I did not stop studying!

I studied alone, not going to the University. Along with working, I did continued to study. Even give exams twice a year.

Until I was forbidden even that.

Then I continued to study even more hours a day, learn languages, read books and theatre in French and English too, not only Hungarian and Romanian.

I was old, 43 years past when I went 'back to school' in Paris and got, finally a doctorate in physics, without stopping to work or to love to do research.

I did study when I met my first Toastmasters group, and later, discovering the world of Personal Computing. At 76 next month, I still cannot imagine stopping to study. Reading, underlying, writing, and nowadays again telling the story too.

How many things this image that I found this morning between the 100 preferred images of my 40 000 flickr pictures did evoke to me, suddenly! Every pictures speaks and this told me all that I wrote this morning without stopping.