On a Costa Rican farm.
“Good farmers, who take seriously their duties as stewards of Creation and of their land's inheritors, contribute to the welfare of society in more ways than society usually acknowledges, or even knows. These farmers produce valuable goods, of course; but they also conserve soil, they conserve water, they conserve wildlife, they conserve open space, they conserve scenery.” ― Wendell Berry
She was maybe 13 years old at the most and she loved art. Quietly, she would find somewhere in the shade to sit and weave grasshoppers, hearts, crowns, and more with dried strands of coconut palm fronds. A frond is the leaf like section of a palm or similar plant.
She was a master at weaving the long leaves into shapes of all sizes. She never asked for a single penny, but instead picked out women passing by to hand them to as a decoration for their hair or shirt. She would hand them her creation with a huge smile.
He was one of the kindest men that I met in Nicaragua. He spoke of a love for his country, but only a growl for the government. He spoke highly of his family that he works hard to support in the grueling sun, but poorly about the Nicaraguan military that gives many a hard time.
In his right hand are pens with covers on each one that read “Nicaragua.” He sells these pens day after day at the border and uses the money he earns to feed his wife and children.
As he talked I could not help but to think of him as being highly educated in an uneducated country. He knew English well and could carry on a full conversation in both Spanish and English. He talked to me for about 45-minutes about his country, the border patrol and never asked for a penny. He would pause from time to time to sell one of his handmade pen covers and pens to a passing tourist, but he was still focused on our conversation.
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." - Mark Twain
She had a scar that ran down her forehead to the left side of her nose. I did not dare ask why, but could not help but to be curious. The lines on her face were deep and her hair white. She quietly walked through a busy market asking passerby’s for money. I had already spent my last three dollars on corn cookies, so I had nothing to spare. She pleaded with me in Spanish to hand her whatever I had. I patted her on the back and had to walk away.
In 2009 the World Bank reported that Nicaragua was the poorest mainland country in Central America. It is a title that Nicaragua has yet to get away from as it was reported again in 2015 by the BBC. If you travel offshore and include all Latin American Countries, Haiti ranks number one as the poorest, followed by Nicaragua.
Nicaragua has been through civil wars, overzealous dictatorship and hurricanes that left thousands dead in 1998 and 2007, just to name a few of the uphill battles that residents have faced over the years. 75.8% of Nicaraguans survive on less than $2 per day. Numbers like that leave children venerable to death, disease and malnutrition.
Five of the country’s 17 departments (similar to states) have chronic malnutrition rates of more than 30%, and the rate exceeds 50% in the regions where most of Nicaragua’s indigenous people live. To make matters worse, many residents don’t understand good nutrition. The government actually encourages families to pull children out of school to help with agriculture. More than 500,000 children in the country do not attend school and 21% of those who do give school a try, drop out before the end of the first grade. Only 40% of children enroll in high school and of that number, on 40% graduate.
He lost his wife in 1999 due to complications caused by diabetes. Today, he is on his own and living by himself in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He scoots around town on his motorized chair and manages to make it to the library, the Journey Home and multiple other stops on a daily basis.
He has a prosthetic leg, but is in need of a new one. His insurance will cover 80% of the costs, but needs help paying for the remaining 20% difference. That difference will be between $200 and $400.
Last year he was able to come up with enough money to buy an inexpensive leg, but it is uncomfortable and does not fit properly. He earned the money to pay for it by selling personal items on the local square. Some folks simply gave him a few dollars, while others bought his personal goods.
The Costa Rica landscape is comparable to no other. Years ago earthquakes, flooding and volcanoes shaped the land to what you will see today when visiting.
Fast flowing rivers, beautiful waterfalls, active volcanoes, massive craters are all over the 19,730 square mile country that is filled with a relatively small population of about 4.8 million residents.
Some of the beaches have white sand while others are black mixed with speckles of white. Monkeys swing from tree to tree while iguana’s lounge around waiting for an unsuspecting bug to cross their path.
"All trails seem to lead to waterfalls, misty crater lakes or jungle-fringed, deserted beaches. Explored by horseback, foot or kayak, Costa Rica is a tropical choose-your-own-adventure land." -Lonely Planet
He was sitting beneath a tree outside a marketplace in Masaya, Nicaragua. The bag in front of him contained a cure all miracle cream of sorts that he was trying to sell all day. He needed a break under a shade tree, but he continued to ask passerby’s if they would like to try a sample.
His hands showed signs of a hard worker while the lines on his face clearly told me that he has spent many days in the hot sun.
Masaya, Nicaragua is an interesting area as it is filled with artist who sell their work in craft shops, make shift art studios and more. Plus, it is home to a wild mixture of culinary cuisines.
Some of the fine foods that locals can dine on prior to giving up meat for Lent as many do, include Iguana and Armadillo.
According to a 2013 article in The Huffington Post, “Catholics tired of fish on Friday can enjoy a Lent-friendly smorgasbord in Nicaragua, where soups made with iguana or armadillo are served with a healthy portion of bull testicles.”
I think I will pass. While in Masaya I picked the chicken shish kabobs served with rice. I think that was a wise choice.
With the smile you would think he has the best thing to sell since sliced bread… he was selling magnet’s similar to the magnet’s you find at museum’s all over America that kids play with. In Nicaragua, that is a pretty cool item for kids to play with. So, he was selling the best thing since sliced bread in his third world environment that he calls home.
My hat is off to him for finding an honest way to make a living in a unique environment with a hard to find item.
"Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman - not the attitude of the prospect." -W. Clement Stone
The minute you step foot into Nicaragua, you instantly see people selling cashews everywhere you go. It is an interesting place to visit as everyone is trying their best to survive which means selling freshly harvested goods, sunglasses, hats, purses, t-shirts.
Cashews that are truly organic are one of the many secrets hidden in the country of about 6.2 million residents. Most people don’t realize it, but cashews are actually a fruit. After the fruit is picked, the cashew seed which hangs at the bottom is roasted, which gives it an excellent taste. The portion of the cashew that connects to the tree can be used to make fresh juice after the cashew is harvested from the bottom.
Dried and roasted cashews are sold on the streets of Nicaragua like newspapers are sold at some intersections throughout the United States.
He was sitting at a small table with his family next to an outdoor food vendor in Masaya, Nicaragua. The city is home to around 130,000 to 150,000 residents squeezed into a small area on the map. The city is to the east of an active volcano called Volcan de Masaya. The area is known as “The City of Flowers.”
The city is filled with history. One of the most notorious events occurred in 1912 as Nicaraguan rebel forces opened fire on United States Marine Troops on their way to Granada. The attack occurred during a period of civil war within the country.
The unprovoked attack on the Marines lasted for about one hour. Five Americans were wounded and three were captured by the rebel forces. The Nicaraguan Rebels lost 56 men who were killed by Marines during the attack. 70 rebels were wounded and 12 of those later died. The Marines continued on their journey to Granada and eventually convinced the rebel commander known as Luis Mena to surrender. Mena eventually went into exile in Panama.
Today the city is known for producing wicker furniture, cigars and leather products. The city is also on the critical crime list, according to the U.S. Department of State. Americans have experienced both violent and non-violent crimes in Masaya.
Born and raised in Costa Rica she doesn't have much, but she was all smiles. In the background is the place that she and her family call home.
The makeshift house is built of tarps, old fabric and metal roofing material. The home sits in the woods and is within a short walk to Pacific Ocean. There are over 800 miles of coastline in Costa Rica, much of which are made up of bluffs and steep rocks.
It is often necessary for the woman of the residence to stay home with young children as the average wage is about $10 per day, the highest in Central America. However, that is not enough to afford childcare.
Because her home is in the woods, she see's Iguana's and monkeys on a daily basis. While most Costa Ricans don't eat monkey and iguana meat, they do in neighboring Nicaragua. In fact, the government of Nicaragua encourages residents to eat iguana as opposed to chicken because iguanas are cheaper to raise when income is scarce. Plus, iguanas offer more protein than chickens. Iguanas have 24% protein compared with 18% in chicken.
He was soft spoken and kind. When I asked him what was his favorite memory, he told me he was a “Motorcycle Pilot.” Confused I asked, “What’s a motorcycle pilot?” That was when he went into detail talking about the fun he had racing motorcycles. He talked about it with a passion that brought him to life, describing other people he raced with in his younger days. He then told me about the bikes he built from the ground up. As he talked my mind wandered… What if that passion were to return to him the way he is able to described every vivid detail to me.
His fault? He told me he can’t say no to anything. I took it as people have taken advantage of him over the years. I don’t know if that is true or not, but I could tell by the sound of his voice and the way he came across as being humble, that he would be the first to help someone in need.
His life today leaves him living in the back of an old pickup truck with a makeshift camper made out of wood and tarps covering the bed of the truck. He is 64-years old.
“The connection to place, to the land, the wind, the sun, stars, the moon... it sounds romantic, but it's true - the visceral experience of motion, of moving through time on some amazing machine - a few cars touch on it, but not too many compared to motorcycles. I always felt that any motorcycle journey was special.” - Antoine Predock
This was shot at Hippie Hill, a place where everyone is accepted. On this day, I had a chance to team up with a church and a company in the Nashville area to hand out brand new leather coats. It was an awesome day and the folks on the hill loved it.
"My way of fitting in was through jokes and making people laugh." - Carrot Top
These ladies are relaxing at Hippie Hill in Tennessee.
Hippie Hill is a community for families that have no where to go. It's been operated in rural Rutherford County, near the Cannon County line, for more than a decade to provide the transient and homeless community temporary housing and basic necessities. Dwight Teagarden told me, "Many of the folks out here find that they don't fit in down there [pointing towards the city], but they fit in here - we love them."
"The most basic human desire is to feel like you belong. Fitting in is important." - Simon Sinek
Dwight, who lives on Hippie Hill, told me this truck is used to haul water up and down the mountainside. "One time the guys were hauling water in a great big container and a wasp got in the cab - the guy driving started swatting at it and lost control. The truck rolled over on the hillside - but we still use it and it still runs."
You have to love the durability of old trucks. They last forever.
“My dad died of Alzheimer’s and we didn’t have no insurance. They took his place from me when he died and I was on the streets,” he told me while thinking back on his life. He told me that he is 41-years old and graduated from Smyrna High School in 1994. He later came to Nashville where he currently lives on the street.
“Do you stay at the mission,” I asked. “No, it is too much like a prison, but they have to keep it that way to keep it safe,” he explained. He went on to tell me that the mission is a good place for many, just not for him. “One guy got stabbed there like fifty times,” he told me. I suggested that many on the street have extreme mental illnesses or problems with addiction which you see magnified in some shelters.
Examining the Stabbing that he mentioned (My sidetrack):
In 2007, Frank Edward Nixon stabbed Joseph Mark Chandler approximately fifty times. The two were staying at the mission and were inside the building when the stabbing occurred. But, the stabbing was not a random event that occurred. One week prior to the stabbing, the two had an incident on the streets of Nashville. Evidently the victim tried to sell drugs to Nixon, but Nixon changed his mind and Chandler and another man beat up and robbed Nixon, according to court documents.
The stabbing took place at 7:30 in the morning on February 9, 2007. Nixon entered the shelter and headed to the TV room where he recognized Chandler from his previous encounter with the victim. Nixon briefly walked out of the shelter to smoke a cigarette and then re-entered first heading to his locker to retrieve a knife. He later went back into the TV room where Chandler had fallen asleep in a chair. Nixon then started stabbing Chandler.
With the first knife wound Chandler awoke and tried to run from Nixon, but fell to the ground where the stabbing continued. Homeless men in the shelter heard the commotion and rushed to the aid of Chandler. Those men held Nixon until police arrived. Their actions prevented Chandler from being stabbed to death. The victim was transported to Vanderbilt Medical Center where he spent four days in intensive care. He then spent three more days in the hospital recovering from surgery due to punctured lungs sustained in the attack.
In case you are curious, Nixon told the courts his marriage failed and he turned to drugs. He soon found himself homeless. Prior to his marriage failing, Nixon served in the U.S. Air Force and later the Air National Guard. He also spent several years in college at Savannah State University in Georgia. He testified in court that he originally turned to drugs to cope with “traumatic things that happened to [him] on Okinawa.” Prior to the stabbing he was a mentor to children at the Juvenile Justice Center and a “Volunteer Preacher.”
Today, Nixon is out of prison and 63-years old. He now lives in Georgia.
“How old are you,” I asked. “I am 32… No, I just turned 33 - I just had a birthday,” she said with hesitation. When asked if she has a place to stay at night, she told me that she did. “I am staying with a friend,” she said.
“The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King is interesting and the quotes he has for life are often from his experiences in life. He was actually born with the name of Michael King, Jr. in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. His father, Michael King, Sr. changed his own name in honor of the German Protestant religious leader Martin Luther. His son, Martin King, Jr., later decided to change his name to Martin Luther as well also in honor of the German religious leader who had a profound impact on the life of his family. What is even more interesting, neither of the two ever met the German man as he lived between the years of 1483 and 1546, long before the King family was formed.
On a Blog entitled The German Way & More I read:
Martin Luther, a former Augustinian monk and theology professor, began the Protestant Reformation by nailing his “Ninety-Five Theses” to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517.
Martin Luther From a 1533 painting of Martin Luther by Lucas Cranach. Although his original intent was only to reform the Roman Catholic Church, Luther’s actions led to a split in the Church, dividing it into the Protestant and Catholic branches. Today’s Lutheran Church (of which there are now several divisions, or “synods”) bears the name of the great Reformer (Reformator in German). Most of the countries of northern Europe soon became Protestant. Germany itself is today about evenly divided between Catholics and Protestants.
Besides his religious reforms, Luther also had an impact on standardizing the German language through his translation of the Bible into German. He was a leader in translating the Bible into the language of the people, rather than the traditional Latin.
This all proves my personal thought, one life can have a profound impact on the world.
I love the way street photography feels, the action you attempt to capture as it unfolds. I love the way you have to move in close when you are shooting with a fixed lens (X100s). I believe that street photography should be personal.
This woman, who could barely stand, walked into the path of the red car you see behind her. She was struck by the car and laid lifeless in the street for a few minutes before deciding she wanted to get up. Every time her husband tried to talk to the officer she looked at him and said, "Shut Up!"
Onlookers stared in disbelief that she was able to stand after the car verses pedestrian incident. Others were watching because her level of alleged intoxication was incomparable to others walking the streets.
“That's the problem with drinking, I thought, as I poured myself a drink. If something bad happens you drink in an attempt to forget; if something good happens you drink in order to celebrate; and if nothing happens you drink to make something happen.” ― Charles Bukowski
“How old are you,” I asked. He smiled and thinking about it he responded, “About 54 or 55.” He was standing at a busy intersection in Nashville when I met him.
He told me he was from New York and hit the road at age 19. “I had a real hard life growing up as a kid… came from a broken home,” he told me. “I had to go, I became homeless on my own - by my own choice,” he said.
After a short talk I handed him a brand new 9 man tent that was given to me to give to someone who had nothing and needed something.
“Only you can control your future.” - Dr. Seuss
I met Christopher in a homeless camp in downtown Nashville. He was helping a homeless friend move from one location to another. His friend had to move as the grounds he was on were about to be cleared to make way for a future golf... Read more below.
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