I am Nashville! Well, I'm not, but he is.
I shot this photo as this man was waiting on a bus in downtown Music City, as he was listening to music.
"If you had told me when I was starting out that I would be coming down to Nashville, kind of weaving in and out of the country scene, I never would've thought that in a million years." - Kid Rock
“I always wanted to travel, so I am,” he told me with a smile from ear to ear. I asked where he was originally from and he responded, “I’m from Ohio and I’ve been places, but I really wanted to go, ya know?”
“Where did you first visit - was Nashville the first place,” I eagerly asked. “I got on a Greyhound and I got off in Jackson, Tennessee - - It was boring, I then went to Nashville,” he said.
His next stop will be out west, likely California.
“The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.” – Henry David Thoreau
I was in Nashville today when Keith Urban pulled up in this in this one point five million dollar Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4. It sounded amazing.
With camera in hand I asked, "Do you mind if I take a few shots?" He paused as if I were going to photograph him and then my friend Jerry said, "Thanks Keith." Mr. Urban smiled and with a slight laugh said, "Sure, go ahead!" Read more below...
Read MoreBrenda has been on the streets since April of 2015. She told me that she landed on the streets because of life.
“I have five kids and me and their dad didn’t get along and his mamma wouldn’t let me come back home,” she explained to me. Brenda then said, “I’m epileptic and I have been cut off by TNCare.” I asked if she has had any seizures in recent days after she told me that she has been without medication for quite some time and she responded, “I had two last night and three about three days ago.”
“The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.” - Flannery O'Connor
An attempted machete attack took place this past March in a Murfreesboro homeless camp, according to a police report (MPD Incident Report 16-5895, A). That being said, being homeless is not exactly easy.
When homeless, you deal with a wide variety of people with a myriad of problems. Some problems are not exactly big while others are more than the average person could even begin to grasp.
A few people who are on the streets simply lost a job and prior to the job loss, they were living paycheck to paycheck. Others have untreated mental health issues.
Some who have undiagnosed mental illnesses were once living with family that could no longer tolerate the living arraignment. Others on the street were abused as children and never got the proper counseling to learn how to deal with the flashbacks they now face daily. Drugs and alcohol and even prostitution to fund the addictions is not unheard of in many situations.
Now, back to the reported attack involving victim George Brewer… he said that suspect Chad Jones is now on the run after the incident.
According to the initial police report, 34-year Jones allegedly went to the campsite of Brewer and began yelling at him. Evidently, Jones woke up the victim who said he was scared for his safety when Jones was said to have tried attacking him.
The report stated that 43 year old Brewer told Jones that he was calling the police, which is when Jones reportedly picked up a machete that was at the campsite. Brewer says that Jones started swinging the machete at him and he feared for his life. While moving away from Jones, the victim fell into his tent. Police say they observed two cuts on the tent that were alleged to have been caused by the swinging machete.
Brewer told me on Friday (5/13/16) that he was able to grab a hook knife and slice Jones in the middle of the incident. The injuries were likely bad, but not bad enough to keep Jones from fleeing before police arrived.
Jones has a long criminal history that includes charges of driving on a revoked license and vandalism to multiple domestic assault convictions and numerous aggravated assault convictions.
Warrants for aggravated assault and vandalism were obtained for Jones, but he has not been apprehended.
In the middle of nowhere of Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is home to a large number of volcanoes, six of which are active including the one you see in the background of this shot.
As we attempted to get closer to the Volcano, we were quickly stopped by an armed park ranger. He did not understand my question about photography and I failed to understand his reply. So, this is as close as I could get to this particular volcano.
The last time there was a major volcanic eruption in Costa Rica was in 1910. The volcano that erupted still has geysers that explode as high as 820 feet into the air.
At age 45, most of us think about life, seeing our grandchildren in the future, running errands, etc. However, life does not always stream along like the perfect script from a Leave It To Beaver show. At 45, many are worried about what to wear to dinner or what to cook. Again, that is something that some don't have the good fortune to think about. In other words, some question if they will survive today or tonight.
Tanya lives in a small motel room located in Nashville. Outside of her room a man was shot several days ago. Down the street, a similar incident unfolded in a restaurant parking lot. Drug dealers and pimps knock on her motel door almost nightly thinking they have the right room, but they don’t. The rent is high and rings in at close to $350 per week. During a four week month she pays over $1,400.
Looking back she told me about her childhood in Nashville. Opryland was once a vibrant part of Nashville life and every child dreamed of being a country singer while walking through the heavily treed park with paths lined with over-sized guitars. Tanya was one of those kids.
As a six year old in 1977, Tanya had her first chance to perform at Opryland. She sang on the stage and that event led her to many other singing and even acting engagements throughout her life.
At 16, she was asked to be on Hee Haw. For those who are not from the South, Hee Haw was a popular TV series that first started in 1969. However, after filming an episode with her in it, the episode was cut because she was pregnant at the time. The producer told her it was a “Family” show and that a pregnant teen would not fit in. Life went on.
Tanya has been an extra in several movies, sang with Carl Tipton from Murfreesboro and even raised several children. She doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke and does not use drugs. She simply suffers from a complicated disease that is taking over her 45 year old body. Unable to work, she eventually found herself living in a motel.
Several years ago a visit to a Dickson, Tennessee medical facility led to doctors finding what appeared to be stage four breast cancer. Shortly after the discovery, a biopsy was performed during which the surgeon accidentally punctured a lung. However, that was not confirmed until about 12 hours later. Tanya told me that she told the doctor she was not feeling good prior to being discharged, but they sent her home anyway.
Soon after being rushed back to the hospital and undergoing surgery, she learned that she had lung cancer in addition to breast cancer. Fights with TNCare insurance soon followed as she sought help to battle her disease.
Tanya is a fighter and has the drive to survive. She has turned down help from Hospice as she talked to me about her future in her small and crowded motel room on Sunday night.
Tanya stated, “We found that there is a great facility in Columbia, Tennessee and they work well with my current insurance. It is called the Maury Regional Medical Center, but I have problems getting rides there to seek help. Rides that are set up through the states medical office fall through too often, which means I miss appointments.”
Tanya wants to move to the Columbia or Spring Hill area where it will be easier for her to get her needed treatment at the Cancer Center in Maury County. Between the incomes of both her and her boyfriend who suffers from numerous heart conditions, they could afford a small one bedroom unit in that area. But, help will be needed to find such a place, move them in and then help with groceries on a regular basis.
In a past conversation, she told me about her teeth... She has had problems with her teeth due to some of the cancer treatments. That being said, a dentist could also help her with some of the dental issues that many of those who fight cancer face on a daily basis.
Immediate Needs:
Currently, Tanya is in need of making the big move to the Maury County area. She is in need of food. She is in need of gift cards to Walgreens or Kroger to purchase her medication that is not available at the Hope Clinic in Nashville.
Some of the food items that are easy for her to digest include: Rice, Salmon (sold in pouches similar to the StarKist Tuna), Instant Potato Cups, Sprite, DeCaffe Sweet Tea and more. Tanya no longer drinks anything with caffeine in it. She has a small refrigerator and a microwave in her motel room.
If you would like to help, contact me. If you have a small group at church that could conquer her needs of finding her a one bedroom apartment near the Maury Reginal Medical Center, life would be much easier. Tanya and her significant other can afford $500 per month, which would be very reasonable in Columbia, TN. But, they will still need that small group to walk with her in the future journey. This would be a commitment, but a good one.
Olivia Newton-John once stated, “My family and friends were definitely the key to my recovery. One thing that I do suggest is that anyone dealing with a life-threatening illness like cancer choose a point person for people to call to find out how you are doing - a sister, brother, mother, father, daughter, son, or close friend.” Tanya does not have that point person. Most of her family deserted her after a bitter divorce, that was like a cancer as she described it.
I met Jim Galaz in the area of the Murfreesboro square today. It was interesting talking to him about his memories growing up.
“I was born in 1955, the same year that Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California,” he told me. With a smile he continued, “My father did construction there and he told me that no one was allowed to have a mustache because Mr. Disney had one.”
The $17 million theme park was built on 160 acres in Anaheim. It first opened in July of 1955. At the time, the famous Walt Disney was 54 years old and Mr. Galaz was not even one.
Stepping back further to 1928, Walt Disney introduced the nation to the famous cartoon “Steamboat Willy” starring “Mickey Mouse.” The film made history for several reasons, one because the world met the big eared mouse for the very first time. It was also the first time for a cartoon to come with sound. I guess you could say, the rest is history.
Back to Mr. Galaz… He is so proud of his children and grandchildren. In fact, they are the reason for his move to Middle Tennessee. He wanted to be closer to his daughter Shannon and his grandson Maximus who goes by the nickname of Max.
Max was born with Cytomegalovirus or Congenital CMV. Children born with CMV often have health issues like hearing or vision loss, an enlarged liver, central nervous system damage and more. About 1 in 150 children are born with CMV every year. The problems can lead to long term health issues in about 20 out of every 100 babies born with CMV.
“Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.” Walt Disney (1901-1966)
He was dressed as The Starchild (Stanley) from the group KISS. I never fully understood the characters, but realized they understood performance as their costumes and acts were interesting to say the very least.
I love finding interesting people to photograph. This man was at a KISS concert waiting to walk into the arena to watch the band that has a history dating back to 1973. Of course, the year was nowhere close to ’73. I captured this shot in 2015.
The band was formed by Paul Stanley (Starchild) and Gene Simmons (The Demon) in ’73 and they are the only two musicians who stayed with the band throughout the years. Any other name was simply passing through stardom.
Today, Paul Stanley is 64 and Gene Simmons is 66.
"Whenever anybody comes to me with a way that I can give something back, it would be ungrateful at this point in my life to not say yes." - Paul Stanley
Homemade fried pies for sale! Food is for sale everywhere in Masaya, Nicaragua and in the outlying areas of the town. In this case, bakers sell what appear to be homemade fried pies. Many of the vendors work long hours seven days a week to support their family.
This young man is playing with a handmade Nicaragua Bolero. The small cone like stick he is holding has a string attached to it with a wooden ball on the end. The goal is to get the ball on the open end of the cone to stay as you throw it upwards. It is somewhat addictive, kinda’ like the video games some kids play in America, but not as intense.
Photo with a Fuji X100s on the streets located between the departments of Masaya and Granada in Nicaragua.
Horses in Nicaragua on the edge of what was once an active volcano.
In the background, Laguna de Apoyo in Nicaragua… This was once an active volcano thousands of years ago, but it blew its top, literally. It is now a Laguna or what Americans would call a crater lake.
In 1991, this beautiful landscape was categorized as a nature reserve, which means it is protected land.
Prayer in a back alley of Nicaragua.
“Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one” ― Bruce Lee
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
For my muscle car friends… This is a photo I recently took of a 2015 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack with 485 HP, stock (6.4L Hemi V8). It also has 475 lb-ft of torque along with paddle shifters for the automatic models or a six speed in the manual ones, but both are equally hard to find. They are not as difficult to locate as a Hellcat model, but still hard to find. Of course, the Hellcat comes with 707 HP.
Only 8,382 Scat Pack Challenger R/T’s were produced in 2015, globally. That of course makes it a rare breed. As for the Hellcat, 7,168 were manufactured in 2015.
The Scat Pack hits 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and 100 mph in 9.6 seconds. Keep in mind the retro looking Challenger weighs in at 4,261 pounds. The Hellcat covers 60 mph in just 3.6 sec. and can reach 199 mph for a top speed. Meanwhile, the Scat Pack version sits behind the Hellcat with a top speed of 185 mph.
By the way, John Francis Dodge founded the Dodge Company with his brother Horace. The two left jobs at Ford Motor Company in Detroit, Michigan and in 1917 produced their first commercial car. The rest is history.
Meet Walter Pope. he currently calls Nashville home.
"Where do you live," I asked. "Here and there," he said with a slight grin. "Where ya from originally," I inquired further. "I'm from Crockett County, near Memphis," he replied.
Mr. Pope told me that he is 63-years old.
"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life." - Albert Camus
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
What is the definition of a hero? Good question. The Webster Dictionary defines a hero as “A person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.”
Today I met 24 year old Benito Cabrera, who is a graduate of Siegel High School in Murfreesboro, TN. He told me that he will be donating his kidney to his younger sister Jasmine Goolesby on May 17, 2016. Evidently, other family members and friends were not a match.
Cabrera stated, “I’ll be donating my kidney to my sister and helping her enjoy her young life. She’s 23 years old. Everywhere she goes people talk to her and ask her about her sickness. She’s real open about it. She’s really happy as a person, even to this day. She is also doing dialysis three times a week, about 6 to 7 hours a day, but somehow works around it working 40 plus hours a week.”
As the kidney donation date nears, Cabrera and his sister are trying to raise enough money to cover expenses while in the hospital and while in recovery and unable to work. If you want to help, visit GofundMe.com/jewfz82c.
I would say that Benito Cabrera matches the definition of a hero.