I was struck by this image of an older man sitting on a bench just a few feet away from a painting done around the time of Chicano civil rights, women’s, and gay liberation movements and the political activism that boiled over during the AID’s epidemic.

It was a gripping and exciting exhibit, I hope to see it again. The Williams College Museum Of Art is a great place to ponder art. It’s free, small, the exhibits are always interesting and surprising.

I couldn’t take my eyes off this man who seemed lost in thought sitting on his bench from some striking works of art. He wasn’t looking at the exhibit, he seemed to be alone.

The juxtaposition of these two images caught me, and it just didn’t seem to add up to me. I’m fascinated by people I see in odd or unexpected places and poses, I always try to figure out what is going on.

Perhaps it’s the reporter in me, I see the world as a series of puzzles, I try to solve them if I can.

I got closer. He was well-dressed, his skin was ruddy, in good color, he had more hair than I did and expensive clothes. I watched him for ten minutes, he never moved.

I couldn’t resist taking a photo of this image, somehow these two men were connected.

Finally, I left him to see the rest of the exhibit.  Maria joined me and we left the exhibit to go downstairs and outside. As I walked to the stairs, the man came around from the other side and walked past me. He smiled and wished me a good day.

He seemed to belong there, he walked confidently and with authority.

He looked healthy and vigorous. I’ll never know more than that. I think the best mysteries often go unsolved.