This is one of my favorite windows. Favorite window, you say? but of course. Everyone should have one.
Windows are openings, possibilities, glimpses, fresh breezes, cool winds that make you bundle up against the cold. They’re neighbor’s cooking smells and the sound of someone hammering in a nail or spray painting something. As city dwellers we are apprised of each other’s activities. You know when I drop something and swear loudly, or when I’ve (embarrasingly) been playing the same Beyonce song ad nauseam (sorry).
But what I love most about this window is that it’s the reward for when the elevator isn’t working (which is not infrequent), and I’m hoofing it up or down, as this window is in the building’s staircase. Sometimes its grey and dusty, but every now and then this window shines with the warmth of a sunset that almost hides its broken panes and ripped screen, and makes the tangle of weeds that crawls up the outside of my building (because no one is really in charge of maintenance here) look like a study in freestyle horticulture instead of extreme buliding neglect. And I usually just stand there for a few extra seconds thinking about how the right light can make anything look beautiful and how maybe carrying my bike down from the sixth floor isn’t so terrible, at least for today.
Got a favorite? linkety do.
That's beautiful! I love windows like that. I used to have a window in my apt over near barrio brazil that I loved. and one of my neighbors played the violin sometimes in the morning and I loved that feeling of laziness and cool air and sunny blue sky.
Beyonce is fine, unless it was that "all the single ladies" song–lyrics drive me nuts.
Thanks Annje, you can come look at my window any time after you guys finally move to Santiago! I recommend on a pretty sunset afternoon. And it is not all the single ladies. I would like to roll that song up with tonight's gonna be a good night and toss them into the hole that is gushing oil in the gulf of mexico and see if that stops it.
And oh. my. word, someone stumbled this and it's going gigantic. Thanks for loving it. The things that happen when you go out to coffee with a friend, suddenly dozens of people have read what you wrote. Hi people!
Beautiful window! I find myself taking photos of other people's windows with disturbing frequency, probably because I'm enchanted with the idea of them being portals into thousands of private worlds or something like that. There are some great windows in Santiago, especially in older neighborhoods, in my opinion.
I am suffering a bad case of window-envy right now. 🙂
You should bring some Windex and paper towels next time you take the stairs, and clean the panes. 🙂