The only place still open in Columbia at 7:30 in the evening was the local saloon. There was just one person visiting the bar while I was photographing there. I moved behind him while he was chatting with the bartender and made this image. I am telling three stories at once here. The setting, the bar itself, is a historic site. It is decorated with humorous signage, advertisements, and a small memorial tucked in to the bottom of the mirror behind the bartender. The bartender, meanwhile, looks as if he has been around almost as long as his bar. He seems to be a good listener, and wears the cap of a volunteer fireman. Looking at the body language of the customer, we see a man eager to talk, learn, and share. He wears the hat of someone who spends a lot of time outdoors – and as it turned out, he only spent a few more minutes in this saloon than I did. I think of him more as a casual acquaintance, than as a customer. The last moments of sunshine warm the scene and give it a nostalgic tone. I made this image from the perspective of the next person to line up at the bar; when the guy in front of us has finished, it will be our turn to pass some time with both history and a living embodiment of it. And then each of us will have our own story to tell.