Curious Encounters by Emily Eve Weinstein

A name from the distant past arrives in an email, asking, “Does this look familiar?” Sent within the message is a photograph from Lawry Sager. We had met in Madrid, New Mexico, circa 1980 and lost touch. The photo shows an unfinished wall with several pieces of art decorating it. One being a small pastel, which I had traded Lawry for his series of B&W postcards. Back east forty-three years ago, my friends and family received his moody images from me in actual mail.

In his email Lawry wonders if this time he has found the correct Emily Weinstein. Anyone, trying to locate me will discover it is a challenge. About thirty-five years ago, the name Emily had become the most popular girls name, combined with having a common last name it makes us EWs tricky to find. That was when I started using my middle name.

Recently googling the popular name, I was alarmed by just how many Emily Weinstein’s pop-up before my website does. These EW Millennials, thirty plus year-olds are computer savvy. Lawry, from the Silent Generation is impressive being able to find me out of hundreds, without knowing the middle name. So, after being found four decades later, from across the country, yesterday, when this phone call arrived I was prepared, “Hello Emily?” asked a young woman with a mid-western voice.

The caller continued, “I believe I bought a painting of yours. It’s of flowers in a vase, the frame is wide; imported from Mexico. I would love to know the story behind it.” Asking for further clarification it turns out that Kecia K. is in Indiana and found the painting at a gigantic all-state yard sale an hour from her home.

Online she did a search with just the first name, Emily. Whatever she entered, brought up my contact information, and what she saw was more art by me! My brain and heart racing; maybe I am not such a web dilettante after all. I mean, to have ones first name come up just like Picasso, Bono, Cher, and Emily! Then Kecia sends me a photo of the painting.

Oh, darn! It isn’t mine. Not even squinting could it be confused as one. The painting is a tourist product on canvas, produced adeptly enough in acrylic with a wide wooden frame, a large clear signature, Emily. What is truly a mystery is how did she find me? Doing a search with simply that first name does not yield this Emily Weinstein, at all. Kecia being a product of Gen X takes to computer research naturally – a great early April Fool’s joke played on this optimistic Boomer.