Nashville, TN: He continued to say that his mother died and then he would hold his hands in the shape of a heart.
"The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness." - Honore de Balzac, French Playwright (1799-1850)
Inside the Nashville RCA Studio B you will find this old piano that has many stories written within its strings. One of those stories being Elvis Presley sitting behind the keys playing his favorite gospel songs surrounded by friends singing before actually recording a song or two.
The studio was built in 1957 by Dan Maddox and used by many greats throughout the years up until 1977, the year that Elvis died. However, the closing had nothing to do with the King. The studio was already scheduled to close, ironically nearly a full year before Presley’s death.
Today, the studio still stands and looks almost identical to the way it looked when the greats like Chet Atkins, the Everly Brothers and of course Elvis used it in the 60’s. In fact, most if not all of the equipment still remains within its small acoustically perfect walls.
He stands hour after hour in the hot sun on the grounds of an ancient pyramid near Mexico City selling souvenirs in an attempt to make enough pesos to feed his family.
20 Pesos are what the lion noisemakers cost for some while others pay the full price of 30 pesos. It all depends on who bargains with him to get the lower price.
Out of country tourist confused by the exchange rate, sometimes pay as much as 100 pesos for the same item made of plastic. Regardless, the money is not being used in a negative way – it is simply allowing for a family to eat.
Homeless in Mexico City.
"Give yourself a chance
You have something special
That nobody else can claim
Deep inside your heart
Shines a revelation"
-Santana - "Hard Times"
Mexico City: He lives in the shadows of everyone, unable to clearly speak or think. In this photo, he is looking into the window of a store watching people shop as if he is imagining what it would be like to do the same.
Her name is Tina and she has lived in the Smyrna, Tennessee area nearly her entire life. She graduated from Smyrna High School in 1994. From there, she worked at restaurants most of her adult life.
Things greatly changed for her in 2013 when she was deemed to be legally blind. Today Tina can make out colors, but beyond the color things are a blur. Tina has diabetes and with that, the problems with her eyes have only increased.
Tina has Diabetic Retinopathy that affects blood vessels in the light-sensitive tissue called the retina that lines the back of the eye. The complication cannot be cured, but can be treated in some cases. But for Tina, treatment is out of the question with her current heart related problems.
In 2015 she had her first heart attack followed by a second only four months later. In October of 2016, she underwent a quadruple bypass surgery. Quadruple refers to the number of heart arteries that are bypassed.
Tina has 15 and 17 year old sons. They often spend the night with friends leaving mom alone in a motel room. That of course is not entirely bad as there is little money to feed and clothe the boys – plus extra cash to pay up to $1400 per month on a motel stay.
A disability check arrives in Tina’s bank account once monthly, but that check rings in at only $500. So, she can only stay at motels for up to two weeks. Other nights, she depends on shelters and help from friends for a place to rest her head.
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." - Helen Keller, (1880-1968)
Homeless in Nashville: He told me, “I was in Vietnam… I’m use to the jungle, that’s why I live here.” He said, "I joined the military when I was 17, my parents had to sign off on it."
“Our purpose in Vietnam is to prevent the success of aggression. It is not conquest, it is not empire, it is not foreign bases, it is not domination. It is, simply put, just to prevent the forceful conquest of South Vietnam by North Vietnam.” - Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973), 36th president of the United States
He is originally from East Tennessee and told me that he joined the US Marines at age 19 looking for a brighter future when compared to others in his small community. Shortly after boot camp, he said he was sent to Iraq where he spent 8 months starting in 1991.
When Scotty returned to America in about 1992, he was prematurely discharged, but would not elaborate other than to say that the military continues to pay him a little over $200 per month for life. He told me that he found life troubling when returning to the states.
After being released from the Marines, he soon found himself in trouble with the law for attempted rape, felony theft and more. He then spent multiple years behind bars eventually being released in 2010. Scotty has been homeless on and off since his time in Iraq, according to what he told me on Sunday.
The famous General Jackson Showboat in Nashville goes up and down the Cumberland River on a regular basis. It has long represented Music City and is somewhat a museum piece. The riverboat has a full stage and auditorium inside with shows that are sometimes scheduled three times a day.
The views from the massive boat are none other than amazing if you love water and the picturesque shores of Nashville. But, how much do you know about the boat?
The name “General Jackson” came from a riverboat that was built in 1817 and named after Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States (1829-1837).
Jackson was born in the South Carolina area in 1767. By the age of 13, Jackson was captured by British troops during the American Revolutionary War. At the time of capture, Jackson was a courier. The capturing of the young boy likely gave him perspective later in life as he was said to have been mistreated by the British before being let go. Not much has been written about that mistreatment so the extent is unknown.
Jackson went on to become a lawyer and elected to hold a Congressional Office in the House of Representatives and twice holding office in the U.S. Senate.
In 1801 he called Tennessee home and was appointed as Colonel of the Tennessee militia. He was quite wealthy at the time and owned what we call today, the Hermitage Plantation. Hundreds of slaves were owned by Jackson.
He became famous during the War of 1812, which was a time where he defeated the men who troubled him as a youth… The British. During the Battle of New Orleans Jackson and his troops had an overwhelming victory over the main British Invasion Army.
Jackson later ran for president in 1824 and won.
Back to the boat named General Jackson that travels up and down the Cumberland River today (2016)… The boat was built for Opryland Theme Park in 1985. When the theme park closed in 1997, the boat remained active and is still an attraction today.
The boat is 77 feet tall and has a 7 foot deep draft. It is 274 feet long and 63 feet wide. It can hold 1200 passengers and has a crew of 157 men and women. Its top speed is 13 miles per hour. All of those numbers are quite impressive for a riverboat.
The massive riverboat is powered by two Caterpillar diesel engines and two General Electric 600 horsepower electric motors that push a 36 foot wide paddlewheel.
The boat is docked outside of Opry Mills. The river is about 15 to 25 feet deep where the Jackson is moored. The average roundtrip for tourist in the boat is only 14 miles. However, the Cumberland River has 381 miles of navigable waters from Kentucky to the Ohio River.
"I was born for a storm, and a calm does not suit me." – Andrew Jackson
A friend to the community passed away on Tuesday night. Shela Moffett-Fabri will be remembered by many for multiple reasons.
Shela Moffett-Fabri with Rion Flowers and Gifts in Murfreesboro, Tennessee had stage four colon cancer. She had been battling the disease for the past three years. Despite her situation, she never gave up and actually encouraged others to do more.
One of the many things that Shela did in recent years was the organizing and hosting of a giant soccer tournament to help multiple people who are up against the fearsome word of cancer. The fundraiser called “Kicking Cancer Mid-TN” was geared towards helping people financially that have costly treatment bills in front of them while out of work.
Why Soccer?
Shela was a big fan of soccer and was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015. Moffett-Fabri played soccer in the 1990's at the Lees-McRae College in North Carolina. She later graduated in 1993 and appeared in 61 women's soccer matches during her time at LMC.
According to the College, the Bobcats were a dominant force with her on the team as they produced a 63-17-1 record. Moffett-Fabri scored a pair of goals, including one game-winner while producing seven assists.
Prior to college, Shela attended Oakland High School in Murfreesboro where she graduated in 1989.
Alumni of the Month:
In 2015 she was named the Alumni of the Month and an article highlighting Shela stated... "Shela currently lives in Tennessee and has been married 19 years to Keith Fabri. “I have an amazing husband who is my rock. In August, I was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer (which spread to my lung, liver and lymph nodes) and my husband has been a trooper for my family. I have a little boy, Augee, and he is nine years old and all boy! I have two step children in their twenties and two step grandchildren (Alex, 8 and Christian, 6 months).”
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do” – Eleanor Roosevelt
I shot this in Nicaragua.
Social reformer and doctor Havelock Ellis once stated, "All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on." (1859-1939)
He was simply resting while watching passing traffic outside of a store in Costa Rica. Resting is important for the soul.
"I have never taken any exercise, except sleeping and resting, and I never intend to take any." -Mark Twain
Mother and daughter on a shopping excursion at the neighborhood market in Costa Rica.
"My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her." - George Washington
He lives on the streets of Nashville and is 36-years old. When asked what placed him on the streets he paused, took a breath and then told me about the mother of his daughter. He told me that she died and between her death, medical bills and life, he could not afford what many of us would refer to as a regular life in a home or apartment.
Prior to living in Nashville, he lived in Little Rock, Arkansas. He accepted a job selling magazines which brought him to Nashville. The company failed to pay him for his efforts so instead of being on the streets of Little Rock, he is now on the streets of Nashville.
“Where are you living,” I asked. He then told me that he sleeps on cardboard in different areas with his girlfriend. The two support each other enough to purchase food, but that’s about all they can currently afford.
“All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.” - Helen Keller
It was a good night. Or, Mack the Knife struck again.
Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear
And it shows them pearly white
Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe
And he keeps it, ah, out of sight
Ya know when that shark bites with his teeth, babe
Scarlet billows start to spread
Fancy gloves, oh, wears old MacHeath, babe
So there's never, never a trace of red
Now on the sidewalk, huh, huh, whoo sunny morning, un huh
Lies a body just oozin' life, eek
And someone's sneakin' 'round the corner
Could that someone be Mack the Knife?
- Bobby Darin, "Mack the Knife" 1959 (My favorite version).
- Louis Armstrong sang the song in 1956.
But, the song came first in 1929. It premiered in Berlin in 1928 at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm.
More details? "The Ballad of Mack the Knife", originally "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer", is a song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their music drama Die Dreigroschenoper, or, as it is known in English, The Threepenny Opera.
I asked him about the tattoo under his left eye and he laughed a little before saying, “Growing up, a lot of my friends were black and my mom use to always call me Moon Cricket, which is derogatory, so one night I got the tattoo of a moon just to show mom.”
The term moon cricket came about during slave times. When African American slaves finished doing their daily chores or work on the farm, they would often go outside and sing under the moonlight. Some say they sang like crickets under the moon. Thus the term moon crickets.
He told me, “We are headed to Colorado by train, they have the best weed, medical grade.”
It is always interesting, the people who look as if they could be the darkest or scariest always have a soft side if you catch them in the moment.
The lights of downtown Nashville lit his face as he played with the puppy. “We just got to Nashville from Indiana,” he told me. “We love Nashville,” talking about himself, the puppy and his girlfriend. "We hop trains," he told me with a smile.
“A tattoo is a true poetic creation, and is always more than meets the eye. As a tattoo is grounded on living skin, so its essence emotes a poignancy unique to the mortal human condition.” ― V. Vale
She was quietly playing in a small alley as her parents were working hard to make a living for the young family. Her mother and father were selling good in the market while their daughter kept busy.
"There is no substitute for hard work." - Thomas A. Edison
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 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.
