a note about the picture

I included this picture in my pictures from Matt's visit to Florence. I never got to explain the story behind it, though.

The second time I climbed the Duomo, almost two years ago, I climbed it with Melissa. It was a wonderful, relaxing, thoughtful experience. I didn't take too many pictures, because I was enjoying her company. But I did snap a picture of this graffiti. I thought there was something very beautiful and sad about it....something very poetic, really. It made me so thankful to be up at the top with someone I really cared about.

Sometime after Melissa had returned home to Ada, I showed my friend Biz the picture and she fell in love with it, too.

So when Matt and I were at the top, I told him I wanted to find this graffiti. I didn't know if I'd be able to, but I really really felt this urge, this need to see it again, all of a sudden. And so I started looking, turned a corner, and BAM there it was. It was just there, right in front of me. I was shocked by how faded it was! And I really don't think anyone could really notice it, its so faded. But there it was, it presented itself to me. Whoever YS is, I hope he/she has made it back with someone by now.

With Melissa, almost two years ago

How it looks today