Boundaries?

Boundaries, who said we need those? She was a female barbarian…

In life we set these imaginary boundaries of what is off limits for males or females when in reality those limits should never be set to begin with. I am not talking about things that are taboo or bad, but instead things that anyone can do or should be able to do.

Take for example the right to vote. Prior to August 18, 1920 women were not allowed to vote in America. But why? It took over 70 years to make that right happen. In fact, the movement started in 1848.

It wasn’t until 1972 that discrimination based on sex was banned in America. It was called the Equal Rights Amendment. However, most of the wording for the amendment was first drafted in year 1923. The person who wrote it was Alice Paul who was born in 1885 and died just five years after the passage in 1977 at the age of 92, but she saw the change.

As for the boundary breaking woman photographed, she is part of a bachelorette party… her party. She will soon be married.

Benjamin Franklin once stated, “Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.” I think that quote easily holds true today as many people are closed minded and unwilling to see both sides. Some are unwilling to learn the backgrounds of others to better understand why they made the choices they made.

Free will is something we were given by God. While some have free will that will lead to trouble, it is not for us as a society to judge. We can lead, but to conspire or form group hate will not lead anyone anywhere.

My thought is simple… How you decide to walk is not up to me, but I can lead in some small manner if I feel that I should. Keep in mind that I too may fall, but don’t judge me as I don’t judge you.

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” ― Anne Frank

Stay true to yourself

His words… “Stay true to yourself and don’t bend to other people.” He has done both, once the later in the past, but now only the first... at age 47 today. 

Don’t allow others to lead you in a direction that your heart tells you otherwise. Be honest with yourself and your desires in life. Communicate what you feel wholeheartedly.

Joan of Arc, who led the French Army at age 18 to victory over the English, once stated, “One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.”

Sadly, Joan was later captured after her victory and burned at the stake. The young heroine of France died at age 19.

It can be dark

It is dark, but darkness is sometimes on the inside of those we meet, but sometimes we don't know.

His knuckles had the words tattooed in faded ink, “HATE” and “LOVE.” He told me, "I could feel it against the bone as he did it."

The word "HATE" was written backwards as "ETAH" and I have seen that before on tattoos. Some have told me they did that so they could read their tattoo themselves, which is commonly called "mirror writing." It is often the sign of a deteriorating brain.

It is not dyslexia, it is instead dysgraphia. The medical definition of dysgraphia is, “The impairment of the ability to write caused by brain damage,” according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. It can be a symptom of brain disease.

But why such a contrasting tattoo of love and hate?

I asked the man who was in his late sixties “Why?” He then went back to a time when he was behind bars… “It was a prison tattoo in the 70’s – I figured it would fade away in a year or so. But, it’s still here over 40-years later.”

I couldn’t settle for such an answer so I pressed on. “But why,” I asked him again. “I liked to fight back then and I liked the idea of the tattoo on my fingers, so I did it,” he said quietly as cars passed by on a busy Nashville street.

Still, not the in depth answer I was looking for. I wanted to hear about his inner fight of being good verses being evil. His response to such nonsense, “Back then I was young and dumb – Today I am old and foolish.”

In the 1953 novel by David Grubb entitled “The Night of the Hunter,” the fictional character Reverend Harry Powell had Love and Hate tattooed on his fingers. The character was a known con-artist in the story and also a serial killer. Perhaps it was that novel that spurred others to get such tattoos?

In the book, the character of Reverend Powell gives a sermon on the struggles between good and evil while using his inked knuckles as an example while preaching. On one hand you have love, on the other you have hate.

The story was set in the 1930’s and the Reverend spread the word of God while befriending rich widows and later killing them while gaining their fortunes. In other words, the good was the spreading of the word followed by his bad acts of murder.

The tattoos were later made clearer when the novel became a movie in 1955. In fact, the “LOVE” and “HATE” is one of the most iconic images in film history still today, all because of the movie. Since the 50’s, multiple characters have had similar or the same tattoos.

Rev. Powell in “The Night of the Hunter” was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Perhaps a scary combination that is seen in multiple serial killers throughout history. In 1955 the film was far from popular. No one wanted to see a traveling preacher who was also capable of such evil. No one wanted to be reminded that evil was so vivid, clever and charming at the same time.

While I am not suggesting the hands pictured belong to someone of evil doings, it does make me think twice when I see such tattoos. It is almost a caution sign to remind me that some people battle with true inner evil that is extreme to the point where they have it tattooed onto their body as a reminder.

The hands pictured did prison time for robbery, but perhaps more before being caught – which is why I wanted to focus on the hands as opposed to the face in this photo.

It is a reminder for all of us, because we all have such battles. However, some are much more extreme.

“When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It’s where my demons hide
It’s where my demons hide
Don’t get too close
It’s dark inside
It’s where my demons hide
It’s where my demons hide”
-Imagine Dragons, Demons

Food, Drug and Alcohol Addictions

Scroll down for audio interview

The old saying of you can't judge a book by its cover is quite true today. This is one story where you may look at the photo and later have second thoughts after hearing the message.

Ericia Baggett was bullied throughout her school years due to her weight. "People would mistreat me," she said. Nevertheless, she found an escape in artwork. During middle school and high school she won numerous awards for her talent. One of her pictures was even hung in the Governor's Mansion. But, the art would only take her so far and the other children likely failed to notice her talent.

Due to her weight she stated that she "developed" at a young age. That early development lead to additional problems on the daily school bus ride home. "I would get harassed on the school bus and held down and boys would..." she paused and took a breath. She then talked about how such behavior was not handled the same way as it is today. In the 1980's, such behavior received a slap on the wrist. Today, that same behavior ends with an arrest.

At age 20 she got married and soon found herself with a newborn baby. Her artwork was on the backburner while depression took over along with more weight gain. Baggett said that she ate for comfort, "The only way I knew how to deal with things was by eating." She then continued to describe what was later learned to be destructive behavior, "As long as I was eating I was taking care of myself, stuffing those emotions down."

In an effort to feel better about herself, Baggett said that she received surgery to reduce her weight, which had risen to 349 pounds. The art was picked back up and the idea of becoming a tattoo artist was something that was growing for her. However, more problems followed shortly after the operation.

"When I had the surgery it took that feeling away," she said in describing how food once comforted her. After the operation she didn't feel like eating as much. When Baggett ran away from her addiction to food, she turned to alcohol. When the alcohol didn't work for her, she turned to meth, cocaine and crack. Her once healthy escape with art seemed to have disappeared.

Finally, Baggett decided that she needed to fix whatever was hurting. So, she spent time recovering at Cumberland Heights while realizing that the hole she needed to fill lacked God. The 40 year old Nashville native said, "Once I quit doing drugs I was like - What's gonna' fill this spot?" With a pause she finished... "Then I ran to God."

Road blocks were not completely fixed for Baggett. She later practiced in "Cutting" to deal with anxiety and depression. Her upper thigh hidden by her clothing, was marred with multiple small cuts and scars. During that time she started to be bullied again, this time by adults. Of course this time around she knew about healthy verses unhealthy habits which is why she decided to get help right away for the cutting and once again start focusing on art. She also understood that hurting people - hurt people... so the bullying directed at her was because others around her had issues of their own.

Today, her dream is to continue moving forward with artwork and to open her own tattoo studio. Someday, she wants to operate a tattoo studio on a level that is not usually expected in such places... She wants to tell people who look like her, yet are different on the inside, that they too can turn to God as opposed to running from one addiction to another.

To hear the entire 19 MIN and 48 SEC Interview, listen below:

CONNECT: Find her on FaceBook under her tattoo artist name of Alayna Devine at https://www.facebook.com/alayna.devine.79

“When you encourage others, you in the process are encouraged because you're making a commitment and difference in that person's life. Encouragement really does make a difference.”- Zig Ziglar, Motivational Speaker (1926-2012)

He is blind and homeless and now recovering after getting hit by a car

My friend Levi, who is homeless and living in the Nashville area, was recently hit by a car along with his mother Debbie. I wanted to post this about a week ago, but he insisted I wait until he gets out of the hospital. After speaking with him tonight he said to go ahead and post it.

Levi who is blind, was walking across a busy intersection with his mother when a car struck the two. It left Levi with a shattered ankle that required surgery. It left his mother with scrapes and bruises, but she too is doing better. She also has a boot on her left leg that she has to wear, although I don’t know how long.

The car that struck the two fled the scene and Metro Police have been unable to track it down. Of course Levi could not see the car which was not realized by officers until several minutes of questioning, according to him. Debbie did not see the vehicle and was likely busy making sure Levi was okay after the incident.

Life changes in the blink of an eye for everyone, no matter the social level. However, when those changes take place when you are already down, it makes it even harder to get up.

Luckily for Levi, it looks as if he will not be on a walker for long. However, being blind, homeless and on a walker won’t be easy for Debbie who is in her sixties or for Levi who is in his mid-thirties.

“Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.” ― Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, English novelist (1797-1851)

Quite the fight in a city park

I always like to stumble across interesting photos or stories. This one was taken in Barfield Park (Murfreesboro, TN).

Medieval combat is a sport that few maybe familiar with. However, you may have seen it unfolding at a local park and you failed to recognize exactly what was going on.

The sport, that involves role-playing as if you were from the Medieval times, is all about taking down your opponent with a sponge sword or perhaps a foam bat of sorts.

A local organization called Dagorhir (pronounced Dagger-Here) meets at Barfield Crescent Park on Sundays and fight. Not fighting that ends in injury, but fighting that ends with a clear winner or a clear loser. It's a game.

In Medieval times there was no acting. Instead, fighters literally fought to the death. Depending on their level of training, some made their fight appear to be a dance the way they jumped, dodged and returned blows with swords and shields in hand.

But in Murfreesboro, they don't fight to the death. They simply reenact such fighting with foam swords and depending on where someone is hit - they either survive and stay in the game or they are, figuratively speaking - killed and are out for the round.

Scott, who goes by the nickname or role-play name of Zaen (Pronounced Zane) stated...

"I'll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hacked." 
- William Shakespeare

Is it a Mountain Lion or Bobcat that Jim Found?

Imagine finding a Mountain Lion in your back yard. Well, that is what happened to Jim Kutz in Lebanon, Tennessee.Needless to say, I had to check it out.

The photo above is of Jim showing me his video. And the video - well, you will have to look at it to decide if it is indeed a mountain lion.

Kutz, who lives at the KOA Campground in Wilson County, saw signs of a possible cougar living on a 200 acre tract of land behind the campground. So, Kutz set up a nighttime wildlife camera and quickly saw a large adult cougar and about three cubs.

The TWRA states on their website: "This powerful predator ranges from 5 to 8 ½ feet in total length and weighs from 70 to 250 pounds, with males being bigger than females. Their ears are black on the upper side and are a small and rounded with no tufts of hair. The muzzle is white on the end and black where it joins the head."

As for where the cougar (or mountain lion) was spotted... it was in the area of where I-40 and I-840 merge - close to HWY 109 in Lebanon.

According to the TWRA, the cougar is the largest feline animal in North America. Until very recently, there haven't been any cougars in Tennessee since the early 1900's. Similar to Tennessee's wild elk and buffalo, the cougar was near extinct due to over hunting and habitat loss. However, the cougar may be making a comeback in Tennessee.

The Unexpected Surprises of Life

Jacklyn had a bike accident and was hit by a truck, she told me. The pickup left the scene which left her with scratches and bruises on her face. She also lost 3 teeth in the mishap. "My smile was everything, that meant a lot and now I am missing teeth," she said. Jacklyn said she doesn't feel comfortable smiling after the accident that unfolded on Monday, August 28, 2017.

Gregg, her boyfriend sitting to her right, was once a meth user but quit as he aged. Tragedy has been part of his life and he spoke of his step son who committed suicide in the past by walking head first into a moving train. 

He told me that he once framed houses while keeping his step son and wife housed in a hotel. Gregg said in describing the step son, "He despised drinking because me and his mom were drunks." While talking about the reason for the suicide he stated, "I think because the way me and his mom turned to methamphetamine's and stuff, which we don't do no more..." He paused and continued, "I guess he heard the train a long ways away and he just started walking with two knives in his hand (super mad) - and he started walking to the tracks and ambushed the train head on."

After the incident Gregg and his wife attempted counseling while being clean, but the death was too much to conquer. He is no longer married and is now with his girlfriend Jacklyn on the streets of Middle Tennessee. 

You never know what someone went through or is going through upon first glance. There is always more than meets the eye. 

“The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence.” ― Jiddu Krishnamurti

No Legs? Not a problem for Ms. Murray

Ronald Batick depends on his scooter to run errands, visit doctors and to get groceries. Recently, he had a minor scooter accident when he hit a rock. The run-in caused Batick’s scooter to flip over, throwing him on the concrete sidewalk.

Sharon Murray was on her scooter when she saw what happened to Mr. Batick. Keep in mind, she is a total stranger to Batick and was just at the right place at the right time to lend a hand.

What is unusual about this story is that Ms. Murray has no legs from the knee down. Her lower legs had to be amputated after blood clots were found in the past. Needless to say, she didn’t let that stop her from helping Batick.

Ms. Murray hopped out of her scooter landing on her knees and made her way over to Batick. She then used her upper body strength to push the scooter upright. Batick said, “I couldn’t have done it without her.”

The good news is that Batick was not hurt and he was able to drive away on his scooter while making a new friend. As for Ms. Murray, she learned to walk on her knees many years ago and said, "I couldn't get use to prosthetics."

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.” –Walt Whitman

Fragile Lives

Life is so fragile and the hurt we may cause to another can easily last a lifetime. That hurt can manifest itself in different ways depending on the past abuse, whatever it may be.

We only live on this planet once and to see those who are hurting, lonely or addicted should be a reminder as we quietly pass them by avoiding eye contact – that we should notice them. Their hurt could have easily been our hurt. Or, perhaps their pain is similar to ours, we just know how to hide it better.

I guess we should all remember that without pain, there could be no joy. Without lies, there would be no truth. Without bad, then what would we label as “Good?”

Life is highlighted with context and contrast and that contrast can be stronger at times.

Take Helen Keller for example, she was both deaf and blind. Can you imagine? However, she saw goodness everywhere with every step. It could be argued that she saw that goodness because she never physically saw the hurt with her own eyes. But, I think the argument could also be made that she never saw or heard the goodness of life, yet felt it always and she never gave up regardless of her limitations. Keller once stated, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.”

“Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.” - Oscar Wilde

Face of Music City - He looks like Johnny Cash

The outside looking in: Face of Nashville… He looks just like the late Johnny Cash and he use to sit on Broadway and play older Cash songs like The Ring of Fire.

"The taste of love is sweet
When hearts like ours meet. 
I fell for you like a child
Oh, but the fire went wild. 
I fell into a burnin' ring of fire

I went down, down, down
And the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns, 
The ring of fire, the ring of fire."

While some may not know it, the song “Ring of Fire” was written by June Carter Cash and Merle Kilgore and recorded by Johnny Cash.

It was originally recorded by Junes sister Anita Carter for her “Folk Songs Old and New” album in 1963 and later that year mastered by Johnny Cash (March 25, 1963). It went on to become one of the biggest hits of Cash's career.

The song was basically about June falling in love with Johnny, which was indeed happening at the time when she wrote it.

Monday Total Eclipse Facts (8/21/2017):

Above photo taken on the Murfreesboro, Tennessee Square

Monday Total Eclipse Facts (8/21/2017):

1. Oregon to South Carolina is where the Total Eclipse hit today and most Americans were within a day's drive to the path of totality.
    
2. A solar eclipse is a lineup of the Sun, the Moon, and Earth.
    
3. If you were in an area that was outside of the slice that saw the total eclipse, you at least saw a partial eclipse. In fact, everyone in the continental U.S. should have at least seen a partial eclipse.
    
4. If you were slightly south of Carbondale, Illinois, in Giant City State Park, then you saw the total eclipse for a whopping 2 minutes and 40.2 seconds, the longest time frame in America.
    
5. The sun is 400 times larger than that of the Moon.
    
6. Solar retinopathy can be caused by staring at the sun (regardless of its phase), but few people can stand to look directly at our nearest star for very long without pain.|
    
7. Isaac Newton tried looking at the sun in a mirror, essentially blinding himself for three days and experiencing afterimages for months.
    
8. A total solar eclipse occurred on June 17, 1909. The path of totality crossed the Arctic ocean, Canada, Greenland, central Russia, and central Asia.
    
9. The last partial eclipse visible in Tennessee took place on October 23, 2014.
    
10. The average width for the path of totality in Tennessee is 71.5 miles across.
     
11. Before 2017, the last total eclipse visible in Nashville and Murfreesboro was on July 29, 1478. However, there were annular eclipses at sunrise on Dec. 25, 1628, and Oct. 19, 1865.
     
12. As for the time everyone spent outside watching the sun on Monday, American businesses lost nearly $700 million in productivity, according to an estimate by outplacement company Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Below photo taken on the Murfreesboro, Tennessee Square

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Laughter can be everything

A few days back I visited my homeless friend Levi at his Nashville camp and dropped of a little dinner for him and his mother. One thing he always does is joke... which is good as laughter is great for anyone.

A Jewish Proverb I once read stated, "As soap is to the body, so laughter is to the soul." I believe that, laughter makes you feel better almost instantly.

As for Levi, he is blind and his joke of the day this past week was, "I'm going to look directly at the Total Eclipse, all it could do is help," among a few other Eclipse ideas.

Levi, who lost a daughter about 8 years ago to death at only about 5 months of age struggles daily, but gets through. I can't imagine #1 The death of a daughter and #2 Being blind. For that matter, I also have a hard time imagining being homeless while struggling with number one and two.

Laughter is medicine:

In a medical article about “Patch Adams,” laughter is described as a natural medicine.

Hunter Campbell, M.D., the American physician whose life inspired the 1998 movie “Patch Adams,” took laughter therapy to a new level.

“Hazardous to illness, humor leads to laughing, smiling, and good feelings” (Bakerman). It’s undeniable – both humor and laughter can make you feel good and take the edge off of seemingly difficult situations. Humor is a great communication tool to relieve tension between people and facilitate relationship-building. As a coping mechanism, humor helps people diffuse difficult emotions such as anger, fear, grief, and sadness. In hospital settings humor can help both patients and their families by giving everyone permission to laugh and relax.

Humor and/or laughter can also alleviate emotional stress, which enhances health by helping to prevent stress-related illness. Remember that the sustained release of stress, or “fight or flight,” hormones can contribute significantly to hypertension, nervous system disorders, and other health complications. Besides diminishing stress, humor and/or laughter can simply make us feel better and put us in good spirits." - HeartMD Institute.

His heart breaks for his mother, but he is alone

Making ends meet while cooking outside in his campground... It looks as if he is camping in a state park with the large natural rock wall behind him, but in reality he is living in the downtown Nashville area. In front of him is a small stream.

His campsite is tucked away on a sliver of land that if you drove past, you would never guess that a stream and a massive rock wall were what lined his tent and propane stove.

"I've caught people down here smoking crack, so I built a gate," he said while opening it up to enter. Pointing towards the bottom of the gate he continued, "I even put a lock on it."

Before leaving I asked when he last visited his mothers grave and while looking down he responded, "I don't go that often, it makes me sad." Before she passed, his mother was his only support in life. She was everything to him. He battled through special education classes with her help. "I'll probably go this coming week, I need to go," he said.

“She supposed this was the real definition of a mother – a woman who willingly allows her heart to break over and over again for her children.” ― Rhian J. Martin, A Different Familiar

Fake weed or Synthetics are deadly in Middle Tennessee

A number of years ago, synthetic drugs sold under a variety of names at local gas stations were outlawed in Tennessee. Much of the push to outlaw such items that were labeled as “Incense” or “Bath Salts” came from Rutherford County State Representative Mike Sparks, who lives in Smyrna, Tennessee.

State Representative Sparks knows the problem exists better than most, which is one reason he is so tough of synthetics. Sparks opened up to multiple media outlets in 2012 confirming that synthetics have been a problem in his family noting that one of his sons, 19 at the time, started using synthetics and it almost ruined his sons life.

Despite his efforts to see the drugs outlawed, they are still widely available today. However, they are not openly sold in gas stations and convenient stores. Instead, they are sold on the streets or in some cases, behind the counter at certain stores.

Today, the synthetic drugs that are often called “Fake Weed” are much more dangerous and potent than they originally were.

A woman named Nikki who has been clean from synthetics for about 4 weeks said the drug is a tough habit to break (8 MIN and 45 SEC) below….

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A former user of fake weed in Murfreesboro by the name of Michael said that some convenient stores in Nashville will let you trade a food stamp card for synthetics that are sold behind the counter. Listen to what he says (3 MIN and 8 SEC) below…

Unlike real marijuana, withdrawals from synthetic weed include not only the inability to control bodily functions, but also dehydration caused by sweating profusely with the users core body temperature increasing greatly which can lead to kidney and liver failure.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse claims that synthetic forms of marijuana are the second most widely used drugs among high school students. The number one most used drug is real marijuana.

Learn more at WGNSradio.com

Fears of the homeless are real

Ricky suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, which is tough on someone who lives in the woods. However, he is very open about the condition which allows others around him to better understand the issues he may face.

At times, his mind might not agree with reality, which is common in the world of mental illness diagnoses.

One of his strongest fears is that of people trying to hurt him. Of course, we all have that fear from time to time, but our fear depends on the environment. Ricky could be in any environment and have that fear, which is why he keeps the location of his camp secret. He also has his camp set for traps to warn him of unwanted visitors.

He has many ways of coping with the illness that are quite ingenious. He does a lot of reading for not only relaxation, but to learn about his paranoia and to educate himself on a number of topics - including news.

One fear that continues to plague his thoughts involves someone coming into his camp destined to kill him and maybe other homeless living in the vicinity.  He described the thought as a serial killer targeting homeless camps.

Up until today I never thought about serial killers targeting homeless areas. In fact, it is something that I have not really heard of. I don’t know if such stories were not covered by the national media or if those things didn’t really happen and Ricky simply created the fear in his head.

Upon researching it, apparently it is a bonafide issue which means real fears for some of our homeless community that reads, researches or looks into crimes against homeless as a means to better protect themselves.

It Really Happens: 

In March of 2017, police in Las Vegas used a mannequin dressed as a homeless person as a decoy to lure one killer into their sites. They placed the dummy on the streets in an area where two sleeping homeless men had previously been killed with the notion that the killer would strike again. As luck would have it, Shane Schindler was caught on camera trying to “kill” the decoy. However, he has not been found guilty of killing the two sleeping homeless men as of yet.

A gang that said they were on a "Street cleaning crusade" killed 15 homeless in Moscow, according to reports in June of 2017. One victim was stabbed 171 times while others were struck with hammers.  

In 2016, a suspected serial killer was arrested in California after savagely attacking five homeless during five separate events. If police didn’t hear the screams coming from under a San Diego overpass in July of 2016, then Jon David Guerrero could still be killing. Luckily, officers caught Guerrero in the act and he was apprehended. The California native was accused of burning two victims alive and stabbing others.

In 2014, a man by the name of Aeman Presley was accused of killing two homeless men in Atlanta, GA as they slept. He was also accused of killing a third homeless man near Atlanta and a woman who was a hair stylist, but not homeless. While in a Fulton County, Georgia courtroom on January 20, 2017, the now convicted killer said he thought he was “Helping” at least one homeless man by killing him.

A former U.S. Marine stabbed a woman, her son and four homeless men to death to do the community a "Service," according to Orange County court documents from 2012. Itzcoatl “Izzy” Ocampo reportedly stabbed some of the victims up to 60 times. Ocampo killed himself one year later in jail while awaiting to be transferred to a prison.

The above are just a few of the homeless murders that have occurred in recent years. Sad, but true.

“The more you love, the more love you have to give. It's the only feeling we have which is infinite...” ― Christina Westover

Cheryl the Survivor

There is something to be said about routine. It is often a good thing because it equals sustainability. However, routine is more of a chore when it comes to the same dreadful morning after morning. Add mental illness into the mix and it makes life even harder to face each day. 

Hear what Cheryl had to say below (1 MIN and 30 SEC):

Imagine being a woman and waking up each day in a tent. Imagine not having the ability to put on make-up  or perhaps take that relaxing nightly shower to wind down. You can’t do it. 

The only way you will be taking a shower while camping is if you are inside a state park or staying in a fancy roadside KOA campground. Of course, both places have limits on how long you can stay and both are costly for someone with nothing.

For most homeless in Murfreesboro, a shower is taken weekly at The Journey Home on West Castle Street or perhaps the Pilot Truck Stop.

If you have ever seen homeless men or women at the Pilot Truck Stop or maybe The Flying J, they are not lingering in the parking lot to prostitute themselves, which is what many believe. While that may be the case in some areas, it is mostly a thing of the past as truck stop management attempt to self-police such behavior. So, there is not a reason to hurry the children back to the car.

The homeless are often at truck stops to receive the goodwill of truck drivers who are passing through cities. Many truck stops offer semi drivers a “FREE” shower token for every 1,000 gallons of fuel purchased. Those drivers often give those sower tokens to those in need, which helps in a major way.

Pictured is Cheryl who moved to Murfreesboro when she was about 2 or 3. Yes, like many in our area she is a transplant. Her parents moved her to teach, which both did. One parent taught at Middle Tennessee Christian School and the other at Riverdale. After the death of her mom and the aging of her father Cathy’s mental state became more deteriorated which meant her elderly father was not able to properly control some of her behaviors, all according to Cheryl.

Cheryl has the same routine daily, but she is not close to a shower. So, she routinely gets up dirty and goes to bed dirty. It is not exactly adventurous and it is tough on a woman or a man for that matter.

As for fear, she worries about her safety the most. She worries about being killed more than being dirty. She told me that she has been raped about 6 times. She also talked about how she has been beat up while living on the street.

“The rewards of the wild and the rewards of the survivor go to those who can dig deep, and, ultimately, to the guy who can stay alive.” - Bear Grylls

Looking Back to Vietnam and Medical Help Today

He had that Clint Eastwood look in his eyes that told me he was kind, but didn’t take anything from anyone.  His skin was weathered as if he had spent a great deal of his life working outside He had the appearance of knowing real work and he could still tackle that real work today.

68 Year old Russell Ashton served our country in the Vietnam War, he was in the US Army. When he returned, like many Vietnam Veterans, he went straight to work.

Ashton still has many memories and thoughts about what he saw during a wartime, things that can’t be unseen.

You can hear the 9 minute interview I did with him below…

"I think about it all the time, no one has ever looked through my eyes and no one has ever worn my boots." - Russell Ashton, U.S. Army

Nothing to Worry About

His nickname is Alabama and he currently lives under a bridge. But, he does not get overly worried about being homeless.

“Is that a tattoo,” I asked while pointing at the name “Jesus” on his arm. He responded, “I wished it were a permanent tattoo because I love Jesus now and forever and I strive to be a real Christian.” He followed that up by saying, “Generally speaking I’m a C-minus Christian at best, but a lot of my days I start out an A plus Christian, but I make mistakes I’m human.”

“If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn't ask me, I'd still have to say it.” - George Burns , American comedian (1896-1996)

Open your eyes wide

A simple dog photo, yet so many things to see in a single photo of a frozen moment in life. Out of eyesight from the frame of the picture are more things...

Outside the window the dog has his attention focused on chickens walking by along with geese making noise while following the chickens. People with dreadlocks pass by the doors not looking towards the dog.

You must have your eyes open in life or you will miss your surroundings someday. That someday could be tomorrow.

When you visit places that are not to your liking or not what you would consider home, open your eyes wider and take it all in as this is what stories are made from.

Over the frame of the door is an old and worn photo of Johnny Cash standing next to Willie Nelson. To the right, a hand painted skull on a cloth reminiscent to a Grateful Dead poster.

Behind the dog is what was once a community kitchen. A dry erase board reads, “Welcome Family, Please Feed All the Birds, Sue Pig and Circle.”

To the immediate right of the door that the dog is looking out, a chalkboard filled with writing with words like, “Laugh, Love, and No Rules.”

On the wall above the chalkboard someone wrote in blue paint, “I LOVE YOU.”

A little further over is an old wooden cabinet with the tops of pots sitting on the top shelf, but no pots are in sight.

"There's beauty everywhere. There are amazing things happening everywhere, you just have to be able to open your eyes and witness it. Some days, that's harder than others." 
-Sarah McLachlan