The Fab Four in Liverpool
Never Underestimate the Power of a Photograph
No, not the Beatles - although they figure into this story.
Meet Wendy, Linda, Annette, and Hilda (I may have the order mixed up, but you understand). While I was in the U.K. on assignment, my mates and I swung by Liverpool on our way back south to Essex. While in that fair city, we sojourned to The Cavern Club for a couple of pints.
Now, need I explain to you the significance of The Cavern Club? A long-time music venue in Liverpool, it is perhaps best known as the place where these four Liverpudlian lads brought their band together and started a chapter in the history of rock-n-roll: The Beatles. So, it is more than a place to have a drink and listen to music. Consider it akin to going to church.
And while I was sitting off to the side, I watched the people. Many were simply tourists, many of whom were young and strolled by the memorabilia, sometimes unsure why it was there. Sometimes youth can be a curse.
But I noticed these ladies right away, because I could sense, they knew. They knew what it meant to be in THE Cavern Club and watching them rock out to ":She Loves You (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah)," it was evident to me that this was no ordinary day for them. If the Cavern Club was church, then this was a pilgrimage.
So I took the picture. And a business card was exchanged.
And happily, Wendy got in touch with me. In her words:
"Hilda, Annette and Linda have been friends for many years. I met Hilda about 4 years ago, through dog walking, and she kindly introduced me to her circle of friends. Hilda, Annette and myself are widows, so we are all aware of how painful the loss of a husband is and we are there for each other. We have our quiet moments, but when we are together, we like to let our hair down and enjoy ourselves. Hilda any myself had never been to the Cavern, but Linda and Annette had been when they were teenagers, we are Beatles fans and so this was a special moment for us."
Sure, taking pictures is my living. But I was not on the clock when I took this picture and when God arranges it so that I cross paths with good people, I know He wants me to share my talent with them (maybe it will get me enough brownie points to reduce my time in Purgatory by a few millennia). I am happy to hear from the ladies that this simple shot means a lot to them. And it means a lot to me because while we are not in the picture, I will remember sitting in the Cavern Club with my two mates, Peter and Cathy.
There are places I'll remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life, I've loved them all.
-- The Beatles, "In My Life"