I could see he was the sort of man a girl would have fallen for.

It was approximately 5:20 pm on a Wednesday. I had an hour to kill before my last class of the day. I gathered my books, newspapers and purse together and wandered over to my favorite hang-out spot: The Phoenix Public Market. After reneging on my subconscious agreement to eat a cous-cous salad, I ordered the vegetarian sandwich and a cup of tomato bisque soup. My favorite single table with the flowers by the window was occupied so I sat at one of the bigger tables by the vegetable stand. Snapping the paper open with one hand and holding a spoonful of still-steaming tomato bisque soup, I noticed a figure out of the corner of my eye approach the table.

He was bent over, with white hair and teeth that, when they were younger and still in their full number, would have been the kind of teeth which, when flashed across a room, would surely cause even the hardest of hearts to soften. He politely inquired if anyone was sitting at the table, and I invited him to join me. He was frail and ragged - I was concerned the plastic-gallon of Arrowhead water he held might snap his wrist. The brown leather wristwatch on his right arm was still loose fastened on the last hole. I can't remember if he wore glasses or not because his eyes spoke for themselves - they were clear and blue, wide and thoughtful. He inquired about the paper next to me, and I told him he was welcome to it but it was from yesterday, to which he replied that 'it's all news to me.'

He asked me if I was a student, and I replied that yes, I was a journalism major. He told me he graduated from ASU 55 years ago, receiving a bachelor's in psychology and communications, and then later returning for his masters, and finally his doctorate in behavioral psychology. I inquired what he did after that, to which he replied "oh just about everything." He'd worked in schools, his own office, written three books, (but, none of them had been published, he said).

He was fascinating. I kept trying to make myself return to reading the newspapers (for my journalism class) but the urge to keep talking and finding out about this extraordinary man was irresistible.

Within a few moments, his friend, a round, sweet-faced woman with a limp and a shock of white hair named Mary Lou joined us at the table. Her warm, puppy brown eyes peeked out above the half-moon spectacles she wore at the tip of her nose. She lovingly set down two salads in front of my doctor friend, and gently prodded him to eat something.

"He was in the ER last week because he was dehydrated but I suspect there's more to it than that. Eat something!"

Ron, for that was his name, gingerly tried two bites of the salad.

"He says I have a strong maternal instinct but I don't think it's that - he just needs to eat more and take care of himself!"

Mary Lou left the table to get a coffee and a scone - and I proceeded to tell Ron how I was always fascinated by psychology and human behavior. I shared with him that I was an actress, and that got us talking about Shakespeare.

Mary Lou returned five minutes later, and gently chided Ron for not eating any more of his salad. But he was done - he told her they could take it home and save it.

Mary Lou told me about her idea to create a sustainable community. She wanted to buy a large property, get 8-12 people together, and create a completely independent, self-sufficient, sustainable community that grew and ate their own food, and used the barter system instead of currency. It was fascinating.

I left them at 6:10, and rushed to my 6:20 journalism class.

I don't know why, but I feel like that was an important moment..Somehow. Someway. I can't be sure. But it was meaningful.