every picture tells a story

You've probably seen here or there or photo of an elderly person sitting on a park bench, surrounded by pigeons and squirrels he or she has been feeding.

I used to see pictures like that and think, 'That's someone who ended up old and alone, with no place in society. Since they couldn't 'hack it' in the 'real world,' they've been reduced to entertaining themselves by feeding animals in the park - the only friends they have left.'

That's what I used to think.

Now, the story those pictures tell me is more like, 'Here's someone who has discovered what it means to be in the present moment. This is a person who has, knowingly or unknowingly, come into harmony with the way, put aside their attachments and learned to live.'