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.

Traditional Birthday in India

I recently had the honor of attending an Indian birthday party for a friends' daughter who has deep roots to India and family still living there. It was extremely different from the type of birthday party I am familiar with. The party was held in Murfreesboro.

Of course, there was the traditional birthday cake and all the children running around, some quietly sticking their fingers in the icing when they thought no one was looking. There was also music, friends and family present, just as one would see at an American birthday party. The difference however, was the theme of praying for the child celebrating her big number two. The secondary difference included real (and really good, but real spicy) Indian food. It was a huge dinner followed by desert and the desert followed by birthday cake.

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During the beginning of the event father John Spurgeon asked that several family members and friends join him and his wife by laying hands on their small child while praying for blessings, good health and positive influences over her life. Some of those friends were Tennessee natives while others were from India. It was nice to see the clash of backgrounds and colors and coming together in prayer.

The dinner that I previously mentioned, was excellent. I Iove spicy foods and this was top notch.

In India, it is customary to finish what you are served and most of the guest who were from India, would have proud mothers as they were part of the clean plate club. The food was followed by a plate of Indian rice pudding, which tasted almost like a cinnamon cobbler. It was extremely good.

When the cake was cut the children surrounding it did not dive into it as one might expect. Instead, friends took turns feeding a slice of cake to the two-year-old birthday girl. The child patiently waited as she enjoyed her cake bite by bite.

It was a very positive event for sure and educational.

About John Spurgeon:

John is a pastor with New Vision Baptist Church in Murfreesboro. He is in charge of the jail ministry and works with those who are incarcerated in our community.

Pastor Spurgeon is originally from India where he grew up. His father, who is a Baptist preacher in India, is well known for hosting large church services in the country that is predominantly made up of those who follow the Hindu belief system.

Growing up as a Baptist in India is somewhat rare. The Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of four of the world's major religions; namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

Major Religions in India and the percentage of followers:

• 80.5% Hindu religion
• 13.4% Muslims
• 2.3% Christians
• 1.9% Sikh
• 0.80% Buddhists
• 0.4% Jain

At 51, Brenda looks back on her child abuse

One look into her icy blue eyes and you can see her pain from years past.

Today, Brenda is 51 and has turned to alcohol, meth and crack cocaine to heal her wounds, which she may not have fully known existed. She turned to prostitution and was even homeless for multiple years and the trajectory of her life was greatly changed when she was only a kid all because of child sex abuse.

Child sex abuse is a major problem in our community and across the country. The scars from the abuse can last a lifetime and Brenda, who just got into housing through the Murfreesboro Housing Authority, can confirm the pain.

According to the United States Department of Justice, only 30% of sexual assault cases are reported. Brenda was one of the cases that never went to police over 40 years ago. Furthermore, many children wait until adulthood to tell of the abuse, which is often too late as alcoholism, drug abuse and more have already manifested itself in the victim.

As for Brenda, her step father later died and she suggested that she confronted him while he was in the hospital. While he never admitted to it, she said he did apologize.

Listen to the full interview below (7 MIN and 26 SEC):

Some good news in the arrests of perpetrators… In years past, child sex abuse was not as heavily investigated as it is today. In the past, false information was promoted by professionals that children frequently reported false accounts of abuse. Over the years it was realized that such ideas lacked systematic evidence that false allegations are common, according to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

“The greater a child’s terror, and the earlier it is experienced, the harder it becomes to develop a strong and healthy sense of self.” ― Nathaniel Branden, Six Pillars of Self-Esteem

To report suspected child abuse of any kind in Tennessee, call 877-237-0004 and remain anonymous. You can also report suspected abuse online at https://apps.tn.gov/carat/.  

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

Life and the struggles

Small Things: “They steal from me all the time,” he said while describing his life as a homeless man in Nashville. He slowed to catch his breath that came from his fragile frame and stated, “They took my medicine, it won’t get em’ high, they just took it because it was a drug.”

Ricky, who has lived in the Nashville area his entire life, has pancreatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. He continues to lose weight while living on the street. However, he is in line to receive housing in Davidson County.

Life has not always been hard on Ricky, “I worked for Rand McNally for 27 years and was married for 27 years.” He went on to say that he also has two grown children and four grandkids, which makes him smile.

However, it seems as if things took a turn for the worst at some point because he followed up that statement about work and marriage, “They both ended the same day along with the death of my father.”

Chronic Pancreatitis was the diagnosis that Ricky received from the doctor about 7 years ago. It is ongoing and causes upper abdominal pain that interferes with eating. “I ate this morning, but got sick,” he stated as he grabbed a hamburger from my truck. His diagnosis leads him to experience nausea, vomiting, back pain, malabsorption of food, weight loss and an increased heart rate.

“How did you get cirrhosis of the liver,” I asked. He then replied with a drag of his cigarette, “Drinking, 40 plus years.” Of course, the cirrhosis doesn’t help with the constant weight loss as it also causes a loss of appetite, fatigue and more.

Thanks to Greenhouse Ministries in Murfreesboro, I was able to give him a tent and a chair. Thanks to Barnabas Vision, I gave him water.

The chair and the hamburger are small things, along with the tent. But, for someone with nothing those small things are major hurdles, even if he gets into housing the next day. Those small items will keep him out of the rain, his stomach full and his legs rested – even if just for a day or two.

“Success in life is founded upon attention to the small things rather than to the large things; to the everyday things nearest to us rather than to the things that are remote and uncommon.” - Booker T. Washington (1856-1915)

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)

Domestic Violence: Fighting with the barrel of a shotgun in TN

On Tuesday, I went with Karen Lampler from the Domestic Violence Program in Murfreesboro to visit with a domestic violence survivor who was almost killed when her husband beat her 21 years ago.

After the attack in 1996, Teva Jane Chaffin ended up at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville and her now ex-husband was arrested. He spent 9 years in prison until he was paroled and eventually re-arrested for his role in beating up another woman.

After Chaffin was beat within an inch of her life, she suffered from major brain related injuries that put her on a third grade cognitive level – meaning she had to relearn nearly everything.

The audio interview with Chaffin is below, I invite you to listen to the short 14-minute interview. 

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Above is a photo of Teva Jane while being cared for at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, TN. 

“In violence we forget who we are.”

— Mary McCarthy

Today, Chaffin spends her time making jewelry, which is her way of healing. You can find her handmade jewelry online at TevaJane.com. Below are just a few of the pieces that Chaffin made. 

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Living in the woods

Ms. Debbie and her son Levi were once well known faces around Murfreesboro. However, the two now live in Nashville, still homeless, but in their words “safer.”

Tonight I had the privilege of teaching Levi, who is blind, how to turn on and start the new generator they recently purchased. Karen Lampert with the Domestic Violence Program in Murfreesboro ventured into the camp with me and we got to bring them some healthy fried chicken and a couple of Mountain Dew’s.

"Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work." - Mother Teresa

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

Leaving the family behind

Not a political statement of right or wrong, simply an observation. Not an observation of the laws broken, but of the lives changed. 

They come to America by the thousands each year if not by more in search of better jobs so that they can send the money they earn back home to support their family. Some have kids in the Latin American countries that stayed behind while others have aging parents unable to work. 

That night before you leave your family behind in search of help to make ends meet, I can’t imagine. It would be a mixture of excitement, happiness, the fear of loneliness, the fear of failure and more. 

“She packed my bags last night, preflight
Zero hour, nine a.m.
And I'm gonna be high
As a kite by then

I miss the earth so much
I miss my wife
It's lonely out in space
On such a timeless flight

And I think it's gonna be a long, long, time
'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh, no no no
I'm a rocket man
Rocket man
Burnin' out this fuse
Up here alone”
-Elton John, Rocket Man, released in 1972

Photo: Man from Guatemala who now lives along a river in Nashville.