My dream of singing

She was walking down the street with a small plastic bag. I asked, "Are you from here?" She told me that she moved here years ago at the age of 35. I asked why and she said, "I had a dream of becoming a country singer."

"What's in your bag," I asked? She looked towards the ground then over my shoulder as if she was waiting for someone..."Everything I own. I was living out of my car, but it was towed, and I don't have the money to get it back." 

"You'll never do a whole lot unless you're brave enough to try." - Dolly Parton 

Music is Life

He was singing his heart out in downtown Nashville. 

“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”  ― Albert Einstein

Meet Moon Cricket

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.”

He needs between $200 and $400 for a new leg

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. 

Motorcycle Pilot

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

He was struck by a car while on his bicycle

“I was an Army brat growing up,” he said. When asked how he landed in Evansville, Indiana, he told me that he was living in a smaller city where he was involved in an accident.

Russell said, “I was riding my bike when I was hit by a car. The injuries were too bad to be treated there, so they flew me to the hospital here (Evansville, Indiana).” The 48-year old was flown to the Deaconess Hospital in Evansville.

After being treated and released from the Deaconess Hospital, he had no choice but to live on the streets of Indiana… homeless.

He does not have the funds to take a trip back home, so Indiana is where he will stay for the time being.

“In tragedy, it's hard to find a good resolution; it's not black and white: it's a big fog of gray.” - Paul Dano

It was once one of the largest Army and German P.O.W. Bases in the South

Prior to World War II, a large military base formed in Union County Kentucky. The United States Government came in and gave farmers below what would be considered fair market value at the time for their land. The flat acreage where you could see as far as 16-miles proved to be the perfect training grounds troops to learn war weaponry of guns and tanks. The rural area is a little over an hour away from Clarksville near the Indiana state line.

Camp Breckinridge in Union County was the headquarters of the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division in the 1930’s and 1940’s.

As World War II broke out in 1937, the U.S. Army quickly realized they needed a place to house German Prisoners of War. The base in Union County became the official P.O.W. prison camp housing 3,000 Germans.

The base population stood at about 45 thousand residents prior and during WWII and later the Korean War. The large base was also home to basic training for new Army recruits in the 30’s and 40’s.

Today, the population in Union County, Kentucky is about 15,000 residents. Of course, that is a drastic drop compared to the 45,000 military residents and 3,000 inmates that called Union County home between 1930 and 1950.

Most of the old World War II era barracks that were left standing were sold to investors in the 1970’s as the land was divided, but the majority of the military classrooms, prison walls, prison cells, cafeteria’s and stores on the massive base were torn down when the government shut the base down. Investors later hired contractors to perform low cost renovations on the interior of the 1930 era barracks dividing them into duplexes so that they could be rented out to residents of low income brackets.

As we drove through what was once the base, every 50 to 100 feet you could see large smoke stacks protruding through heavily dense wooded areas that were to my right and left. I then stopped the truck and walked into the woods to further examine the stack's. I could still see the concrete foundations to old military buildings that probably went for miles. There were 50 or more stacks on the land in the area near the old barracks.

A railroad once ran between the military base and the Ohio River, which was only about 7 miles away. Supplies were shipped to the base on barges and by rail. 
On the banks of the river, we found a massive chain that may have once been used to tie off the barges while they unloaded. The large chain was about six inches in diameter.

As you look at these photos, imagine it a base that was once alive and vibrant.

He and his family moved from Pensacola

"We moved here from Pensacola, Florida," he told me while suggesting the crime rate was way to high to raise a family in Pensacola. "It is much better in Murfreesboro, Tennessee," he said with a smile. He explained how prostitutes would walk up and down his street in Florida. "One day my four year old daughter went out there and told one of them to keep on walking," he said with a slight laugh.

Pensacola has a violent crime rating of 71. The scale goes from 1 to 100 with 100 being highest. The U.S. average rating is 41.4. Violent crime is composed of: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.

The Pensacola population count only rings in at 52,000 residents. That number has steadily, but slowly declined since 1990 when the count hit about 60,000 residents. 17% of the population is below the poverty rate.

It is also interesting to note that as of February of this year (2016), there were 779 registered sex offenders living in Pensacola or one sex offender to every 67 residents.

However, Pensacola is far from having the highest crime rate in the Sunshine State. A small town called Mangonia Park has the highest crime index in Florida. Mangonia is considered to be in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area.

The love for my dog

She is a widow who quietly lives in her small home with her favorite companion, her 7 year old dog.  I met her when I went out with the folks from Beesley Animal Clinic in Murfreesboro while they vaccinated cats and dogs that belong to those who are on fixed incomes in our community.

“Where there is love there is life.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

Helping others feels good

What a great day today. I had the opportunity to head out with the folks from Beesley Animal Clinic in Murfreesboro while they vaccinated cats and dogs that belong to those who are on fixed incomes in our community.

We literally went door to door and met some of the most caring animal lovers I think I have ever seen. It reminded me that simple pleasures of owning an animal are sometimes one of the few pleasures of companionship that can be afforded.

“To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.” ― Mark Twain

The Violin

"When you play a violin piece, you are a storyteller, and you're telling a story." -Joshua Bell

Shot with a Fuji XT1 and a 35mm lens. 

Cold Outside

I shot this photo on a cold January day in Nashville. He was standing outside near the Nashville Rescue Mission.  Homeless. 

“Nothing burns like the cold.” ― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

I'm different

"If there's any message to my work, it is ultimately that it's OK to be different, that it's good to be different, that we should question ourselves before we pass judgment on someone who looks different, behaves different, talks different, is a different color." - Johnny Depp

Shot with a 35mm Fuji XT1. 

Garrett Aaron Abdula Presley

“I was a child actor,” he told me. "My name is different, it is Garrett Aaron Abdula Presley."

“I am homeless, but making it,” he said in a cheerful manner.

“The world of the homeless is a tough and interesting world.” - Paul Dano

I didn't do it

His face was dirty and his clothing well worn. He told me, “I use to live in Chattanooga, but I had to move. They accused me of starting a fire.” “Did you commit arson,” I asked. “What,” he said. “Did you start a fire,” I asked him again. “No, I didn’t do it,” he told me.

"There are no facts, only interpretations." - Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900), a German philosopher

I met Captain America

I met Captain America on the streets of Nashville, Tennessee. 

Where did you get the Captain America jacket, I asked with curiosity. “I got it at Walmart,” he told me with a small smile. He then proceeded to tell me that he was living on the street. I thought to myself, what better outfit than Captain America when you spend 24-hours a day on the street.

These are the people who need the help the most on the street, those who are simple in this complex world of make believe and illness.

“If you're gonna fight a war, you got to wear a uniform.” – Captain America

Walter has big dreams

Tonight I got a phone call from Candy Carter with Last Call 4 Grace. She told me that Walter (age 35) was in her office and needed a ride to the Greyhound bus station in Nashville. I told her I would take him.

After picking him up, Walter told me he decided he wants to make some big changes in his life. He said, “Scott Foster at the Journey Home in Murfreesboro bought me a bus ticket to New Orleans.” Walter is homeless and knows Foster well from eating his daily meals at The Journey Home.

Walter said, “I am addicted to cocaine and meth - drugs in Murfreesboro are out of control.” He then described to me how he has been in numerous crack houses over the past year and has even seen crack and meth addiction in the elderly community in the inner city. “We have gangs in Murfreesboro selling drugs nonstop,” he said with a gasp of air. It was as if he were unloading what he witnessed while struggling to make changes.

Just wait, the story gets better.

“Steve Austin got me linked with Bethel Rehab in New Orleans, he’s a good guy,” he told me. Austin operates 180 Degrees Ministries in Murfreesboro. Austin’s Christian based ministry focuses on addiction and most of all, recovery. Bethel Rehabilitation Center in Louisiana is a place for drug addicts and alcoholics to recover. Austin helped Walter get into their six month program in New Orleans where they had a current opening.

For those who don’t know, there is often a waiting list to get into rehab. If you are ready to make life changes now and you are ready to go, you have to search for a facility with an opening. In other words, that means you may have to go out of state to get help for addiction.

This short story illustrates how local non-profits in our community work together. It also illustrates that each of the persons I mentioned know how important it is to build relationships in order to make a positive change in our society.

By the way, Walter wants to be a missionary. He asked me, “Can a convicted felon get a passport?” I then looked it up on the federal government’s website. The answer was an overwhelming YES. That ride to the Greyhound bus station opened a door for him. He got out of the truck with a dream in mind and he hasn’t even made it to New Orleans yet.

As he was about to walk into the bus station I asked, “Walter, do you mind if I tell you story to others?” He smiled, “Sure, go for it.”

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt

Life is not always glory filled

Between dirty roach infested motels, battling cancer and life – some people do not choose the course they are on. Circumstances place them there.

Imagine battling an illness that is winning and sometimes sleeping on a bed and other times, sleeping on the street. That is life for many that we overlook.

“When you hear the word 'cancer,' it's as if someone took the game of Life and tossed it in the air. All the pieces go flying. The pieces land on a new board. Everything has shifted. You don't know where to start.” - Regina Brett (American Author)

Tell everyone I am blessed

“Mr. Scott, tell everyone I am doing good and the Lord blessed me,” he said. “I have a job,” he told me on the phone.

You may recall the photo I took of Daniel about one week ago. He was the man we found living on a bench behind the Department of Human Services office in downtown Nashville. He is now living in a motel and calls it his very own apartment. He paid for it with his disability money, which he will have enough to cover a total of two weeks. His new job means his first paycheck will land in his account in exactly two weeks, which should cover the cost of another two weeks at the motel.

When I visited him on Sunday, a few friends and I bought him a grocery cart full of food that we let him pick out. Aisle by aisle he said, “I’ll get whatever you think I should have – I’m just so thankful because no one has ever done this for me before.” We wanted to make sure that he smelled good for his new job too, so we were sure to buy deodorant, aftershave, shampoo and a razor and shaving cream.

Before leaving the store we bought bread, sandwich meat and condiments for a homeless man sitting on the curb in front of the grocery store. I said, “Daniel, this is for him [pointing while holding the bag up] – you give it to him.” Daniel walked it over and shook the man’s hand and smiled from ear to ear. “How did that feel,” I asked? “Oh, it felt great – just blessing others because I have blessings,” he said with confidence.

What you don’t know about Daniel is quite intense. At age 10 he was raped by a male family member. He still battles with the thoughts of that happening today. That family member was never arrested nor investigated, according to Daniel. He was also raped as an adult when he was in his thirties multiple times. His mother, whom he lived with, then died and he was on the streets from that point on. While in his forties and living on the streets he was attacked not only inside the Nashville Rescue Mission, but also on the streets of Davidson County.

As a child, Daniel spent his days in special education classes. His I.Q. is 65. According to the American Association on Mental Retardation, Daniel would be classified as having a mild mental retardation. The organization claims that he can acquire academic skills up to a 6th grade level and in some cases live independently with community and social support. However, he lacks both.

The question now: Can someone help Daniel find counseling services in Nashville at no cost? He is currently receiving help through a state contracted counseling office, but that has proved to be an utter failure for Daniel. He needs serious therapy as he also battles schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder. Daniel told me he has been without his medication for two months. He will be seeing his regular doctor this week to get back on the needed medications, but counseling to deal with the rapes is priority.

Dreaming of an education

I saw him sitting on a bench across the river from the Titans stadium in Nashville. That bench was also his bed for the night. The young man with high hopes told me that he last lived in Chattanooga before he was released from a hospital in Hamilton County, Tennessee. “I’m 18, but will soon turn 19,” he told me.

His clothes were dirty, as if he had not changed in a week or longer. His fingernails appeared as if he had dug a hole in the dirt, his hair wiry and wind blown. His beard untrimmed.

On a folded up sheet of notebook paper he keeps a list of college degrees that he would like to pursue one day. “I heard there was something new in Tennessee that allows people to go to college for free,” he told me. He then handed me the well-used sheet of paper while stating, “Whenever I come across something that interest me, I write it down.”

I started to read the list of about 30 potential college degrees aloud so he could hear them. I got to the word “Navigation” and paused. “What’s this one,” I asked? He then got wide eyed and smiled. “Navigation – land, sea or air – so I can travel the world,” he told me. I said, “You know, MTSU in Murfreesboro has one of the most well-known programs in the country that focuses on Aerospace technology and flight.” “M-T-S-U,” he said in a puzzling way as if his wheels were turning on figuring out what he needed to do to apply.

“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.” - Robert Frost