Dead Serious

Reportage by Ivy Dillinger



I spoke with a sweet elderly woman recently about life and what it's taught her. She showed me an old photograph of herself and looked at it wistfully. She told me to take more chances and not care so much what people think. "What would you do differently?" I asked. She said she probably wouldn't get married again. "Too confining," she said. She said she'd try drugs and travel more and get in fights and break hearts. I smiled. She grabbed my arm - met my eyes. "I'm dead serious," she said. She didn't smile.