Half Life in Prison

“I spent half my life in prison,” he told me looking down. “Why,” I asked with curiosity. “Guns and drugs, I was sentenced in federal court at age 30, today I am 62,” he said. Then he chuckled, “But, I met a girl the other night… I’m staying with her over there [pointing to a nearby rundown motel], she’s 30.” I laughed a little and responded, “Well good for you.” He then smiled real big and said, “She’s a pretty little thing.”

Bernard Kerik a former police officer, convicted felon, and consultant who served as New York City Police Commissioner from 2000 to 2001 once said, “Going to prison is like dying with your eyes open.”

A bag full of change and a happy face

He was walking down Nolensville Pike in Nashville, his salt and pepper hair was blowing in the wind. I thought to myself, “He has an interesting face… I wonder what his story is?” I crossed five lanes of traffic on foot to catch up with him. It was obvious he had somewhere to be.

When I finally caught up I asked, “Where ya from?” He looked around as if I were talking to someone behind him. “I’m originally from Florida, but later moved to Seattle Washington and then to Nashville,” he told me. I laughed, “Why the heck would you leave Florida?” He smiled, “I didn’t have a choice, I was two and my parents moved.” I then replied, “I guess it would be hard to convince your parents to stay when you are only two.”

He then told me how he hated Washington because it was cold and rained all the time. However, he loves living in Nashville.

During our conversation he told me how he had a bag full of change that he took to a convenience store to exchange for cash. I told him that likely made for a good Sunday. He heart-fully agreed.

Marcus Aurelius, a Stoic philosopher and Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 once stated, “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” Stoic philosophers taught that destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment, and that a sage, or person of "moral and intellectual perfection", would not suffer such emotions.

I don't know that I would agree that anyone exists in today's times with moral perfection, but this man seemed to be very happy despite having little and living in a home with others.

Witch Doctor in Haiti Up Close

Voodoo is something that most hear about and think is interesting, fascinating and even fictitious. However, it is actually a Satanic ritual that is very much real. This is a photo of a practicing Haitian Voodoo Witch Doctor. He is about 53-years old age and lives one hour away from Cap-Haitien, Haiti. He has many followers who turn to him on a regular basis.  

I visited several Voodoo Ceremonial Grounds in Haiti and found multiple human skulls, a casket and other skeletal remains used during ritualistic activities.  Human sacrifices, murders and more are all a part of Satanic Voodoo Ceremonies in Haiti. 

Brother and a "Sister" Mom

A sister holding her little brother in Haiti (Jan. 2015).

It is amazing to watch how sibling sisters become mothers in third world countries as the mom is busy washing clothes by hand, cooking dinner from scratch over an open fire or helping around the village with a sick friend.

One woman told us that her chest was hurting, pointing to her breast. I can only imagine it was the first stages of un-diagnosed breast cancer as medical care is scarce in some of the remote areas of the country. She described the pain accompanied by fatigue through an interpreter.

A pack of gum

The Faces of Haiti: He was busy watching his friends as my son started to hand out small packs of Chick-lets gum on a hot January (2015) day in Haiti. The temperature felt like it was about 100 degrees, no breeze.

We were in a small village about 30-miles from Cap-Haitian, a city of nearly one million residents when we came across a roadside stand next to a Voodoo ground. I purchased about 30 packs of gum for around $2 U.S. dollars. The children quickly gathered as this one boy watched with curiosity.

"Haiti kind of gets a hold of you." - Sean Penn

Children in Haiti

The children in the larger cities of Haiti ran and played in the seepage of sewage into the streets while the children on the countryside ran through the outskirts of sugarcane fields pulling toy cars made of soda bottles. It was an interesting contrast sometimes only four miles apart. 

“The wonders of a child can only be understood by the child.” ― Lailah Gifty Akita

Help Someone Today

"We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone." - Ronald Reagan

Chicago Prostitution

She lives a lonely life filled with men and never stops at a temptation. When I see a prostitute on the street I wonder what happened in her life that made her turn to selling her body.

In most cases I have learned that the females and males who sell themselves were victims of sexual abuse as children and often grew up fatherless. While it may sound like a blanket statement, it is. I say that based on my conversations with women I have photographed who have openly told me about their past. I also base it on people whom I have talked to who did not want to be photographed because of their past or current situation involving prostitution.

One woman told me, “After I perform the services, I go home and fill the tub with water, get inside the bath and cry for hours.” I will never forget that statement. She told me that she prostituted to buy crack cocaine as a way to forget her past. 

The traveler in Chicago

“I’ve been all over the place, even Amsterdam,” he told me. I had to ask after a pause, “So what drugs did you try there?” He laughed a little, “Pot, only pot.” He told me that he loved to travel, I agreed that traveling is always an adventure – especially on foot.

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." - Saint Augustine

Vietnam, 17-Years in the U.S. Army, now on the streets

This is Dan, he is a Vietnam Veteran. He recently received a new haircut by Brittney Pelham and a beard trimming on the streets of Nashville.

Dan served our country in the U.S. Army for 17-years, which included his time in Vietnam.

Today he lives under a bridge, which is on private property owned by a commercial business. Metro Police arrested him for trespassing for being there when he had no where else to go. He has since moved on leaving his mattress behind.

I am not making a point, just relaying what occurred in recent days. I simply repeat what I am told and see. Thanks to our friends at Liquidation Outlet, he now has a tent to keep out of the elements. He was excited to receive it, almost as excited as those who get a new house.

More Haircuts

We hit the streets of Murfreesboro and Nashville to cut the hair of the less fortunate who live on the streets, under bridges and in the woods. Needless to say, it was very positive. 

Methadone Clinic

“I go to the Methadone clinic every morning [pointing down the street],” he stated. “But, I’m clean now – I’ll probably have to be on it forever though.”

He then told me about the dealers down the street near the clinic selling drugs outside of McDonald's. As I walked through the alleged drug sellers to reach my next destination, it was more than obvious what they were doing. They would sit in groups of two or three and after an order was placed, another man would walk around the corner with the goods in pocket. 

Methadone: Treats moderate to severe pain. Also used together with medical supervision and counseling for treatment of narcotic drug addiction. This medicine is a narcotic pain reliever.

Chicago Nights

“I sleep over there [pointing towards a church],” he told me. “But man, when it gets cold it gets down to negative 10 or lower,” talking about Chicago nights in the winter.

Out of curiosity, I asked a few people walking past him for money to help with a hotel. People ignored me, walked past me, bumped shoulders with me while shaking their head, rolled their eyes, I could go on and on. It was quite interesting. During this the man in the photo just looked up an chuckled, “See how hard it is to get a few bucks.”  

Divorce

I only caught a small glimpse of his past, but he told me one of the many reasons he was homeless was because his wife left him. I simply smiled. 

This was in Indianapolis, Indiana on Monday. 

"Divorce is expensive. I used to joke they were going to call it 'all the money,' but they changed it to 'alimony.' It's ripping your heart out through your wallet." - Robin Williams

The Bean in Chicago

It is called Cloud Gate, but many refer to it as the Bean. It was sculpted with 168 stainless steel plates in 2004 and was not complete until 2006. Despite the multiple plates, it is seamless. You can rub your fingers across the surface and it feels as if it is a piece of glass.

An artist from Britain built the sculpture in downtown Chicago. His name is Anish Kapoor.

In case you are curious, it is 66-feet long, 33-feet wide and 42-feet tall.

"No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist." - Oscar Wilde

Has not eaten

She was sitting by herself at 6 in the evening in the shadows of Chicago near the lake. She had a hospital bracelet on her right wrist and a walker sitting behind her. 

I asked, “When was the last time you ate?” She looked up and said, “Yesterday morning.” 
Without skipping a beat I quickly got her some hot beef stew, a yogurt, sandwich and more. 

Needless to say she never had to say the words thank you, I saw it in her face. 

“Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.” -  Maya Angelou

Those Gang Bangers

She was sitting by herself in front of a closed Macy’s store on a Sunday in downtown Chicago. “The cops don’t do anything around here [pointing down the street], some gang banger hit me in the shoulder right there,” she told me. As she talked another homeless man who appeared to be in his own state of mind came up asking for money, she yelled for him to leave.

“I’ll make it,” she told me, “But I hate it here.”

“Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” - Joseph Campbell

The Grumpy Musician

I thought to myself, “How can you play beautiful music on the saxophone and be so miserable?” As I walked past him I thought to myself, “I only have a $20 and I need to get some change to give him.” I was on my way to a small eatery to buy a homeless man something to eat as I snapped the photo of the saxophone player in Chicago.

After I took the picture my intent was to come back and give him a few bucks. However, he changed those intentions quickly as he put the saxophone to the side and yelled while pointing at his case, “Hey, you better put some money in here – I’m not shittin’ ya, you better pay!” I smiled and continued to the eatery.

As I walked back by with food in my hand I smiled thinking, “I would have given you a few bucks if you did not have the outburst.”

I wonder what he is going through? I will never know. Sometimes, stories are not meant to be told. 

"You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger." Buddha

Over the Rainbow

He knew the words by heart as he sang by himself in a tunnel that led to the Navy Pier in Chicago. His song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow. 

The tunnel went under the roadway and was a safe haven from rain or snow in winter months. It was well lit and fairly clean.

His hair was dyed purple, matching his shirt and his fingernails. After I snapped the photo he wanted to know if I could record him singing.

“I'm singing in the rain, just singing in the rain; What a wonderful feeling, I'm happy again.”  - Arthur Freed

Sober today

He was sitting in the shadows of a large Chicago building on the concrete windowsill. His face looked as if it were carved, almost unreal. As I stood and watched people walked by I noticed he would talk to everyone as if he were digging for conversation. “Hello, beautiful evening,” he would say never discouraged by a lack of dialogue.

As I kneeled down in front of him he enthusiastically told me that he has been sober since October 25, 1998. He told me he got sober the day after he was arrested for burglary on October 24, 1998. I could tell he was proud.

When he introduced himself, he pulled out his ID card to show me his full name. He then showed me his debit card, I think he was proud to be clean and on his own.

54-Year old Alen Kilbert Jr. is doing great today. That’s the story that he gave me. He was all smiles as he talked about his past being just that, his past

“Laughter is day, and sobriety is night; a smile is the twilight that hovers gently between both, more bewitching than either.” - Henry Ward Beecher.