Street Photography

No flash, no special production. Just me and a camera at night in Nashville, TN.

When doing street photography I may look odd or like some type of weirdo - but, if people only knew what I was seeing in that small glass behind my camera... the beauty, the romance, the life, the time standing still, the passing people or cars, the businesses - I think they would understand.

No, it is not just the person in the photo, it is the entire surrounding that makes the picture in street photography. It is everything.

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” – Elliott Erwitt, Street Photographer

The name of my home planet

He held up the small partially painted rock in his right hand and looked at it as he stated, “This is a rock from my home planet.”

He then explained what planet he happened to be from. I could not fully understand the name, but he definitely did not say earth… it was the name of someone or something. I guess that mysterious name would be his mysterious home planet.

After the click of my shutter he disappeared into the dense crowd of downtown Nashville and into the night.

Address at Rice University on the Nation's Space Effort, September 12, 1962:

U.S. President John F. Kennedy said in a speech about space exploration, “There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again.”

What are you looking for?

Some people who seem lost, also seem to be in amazement by so little and so much...

“You'll never find a rainbow if you're looking down” ― Charlie Chaplin

The Drifter

He was sitting on his bike outside of a bar in downtown Nashville. "LOVE" and "HATE" tattooed to his fingers... He looked like the type who drifted into town with the thought of one night, but likely turned into two and later three.

By ten that evening, he was laying down on his ride with his feet hanging over the rear tire – his head on his handlebars. It was as if he owned the street and if he was told to move on, with a spit he’d say no and sit tight.

The type most would not approach in fear of not being able to walk away, he sat alone as the traffic around him blurred past.

"Got no strings to tie me down
Got no cause to hang around
What difference does it make which way I go
Got an empty feelin' down inside
Still I need to stay alive
Who can tell what waits beyond this road
I'm a drifter, lonesome drifter"

- Johnny Cash, “I'm A Drifter” (Version 2)

The phone call confirming Stage IV Cancer

Imagine contracting Lime Disease upon your move to Tennessee… possibly from a tick bite. Then, after battling that for a full year imagine a diagnosis of breast cancer that spreads to the bones in your back, your pelvis and even your ribs. That is the life that Cathy Hoag in Murfreesboro has experienced in recent months.

Cathy, who lives in the Barfield area, was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast Cancer this past August.

Looking back, after noticing something was not quite right with her breast, she made an appointment with her doctor. The test results of a mammogram appeared normal, but more questions needed to be answered due to the extremely dense tissue that did not allow for a proper diagnosis. So, more testing followed which ended in a single phone call on a sunny afternoon.

It was a call that no one wants. Cathy, a wife, a stay at home mom of two boys ages 7 and 10, plus a home school teacher – heard the phone ring. She answered it and soon found herself in tears while closing the door of her bedroom. Her doctor informed her that she did indeed have cancer. It was soon revealed that the cancer had spread from her breast to her bones and it was given the title of “Stage IV.”

Prior to the diagnosis, Cathy had mammograms annually. But, the start date of the cancer was not fully established. Regardless of when it formed, she is moving forward with treatment at the Cancer Centers of America in Georgia.

A short 12 minute audio interview with Cathy is below:

"Remember how far you've come, not just how far you have to go. You may not be where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be." -Stuart Scott

The GoFundMe page for Cathy is HERE.

These Hands and me

The above photo and below description is part of the Rutherford County Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center “These Hands - Hope and Healing," photographic journal project that showcases domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.

These Hands

"I am a survivor of domestic violence and child sexual abuse. This year I used these hands to write A Call for Help and I’m So Sorry."

- - -
Call for Help

"We were battered and abused
because my mother believed my father when he said,
I'm so sorry.

In 1920
when my mother was six
my grandmother
believed it, too.

In 1955
when I was six
my mother stopped
believing it.

Her willingness
}to Call for Help
destroyed the curses
of alcoholism and violence
and restored the blessings
of sobriety and peace."

- - -
I'm So Sorry

"Love indifference
Contempt regret

Where shame and guilt
Is what you get

Of all the lies
It’s a safe bet
I'm so sorry’s
The biggest yet"

- - -
About The Photo:

"By 1957 my mom and I were out of his reach and safe and sound. I was in the Cub Scouts when I made the plaster imprint of my hand. I gave it to my mom for her Mother’s Day gift. She loved it. It was a good day." - John Schmueser ©2017

In search of life under the Lebanon, TN square...

After hearing people talk about homeless living “Under” the Lebanon, Tennessee square in a cave of sorts, I grew more and more curious about the scenario. I then searched online to find any information I could eventually locating an article in the Lebanon Democrat newspaper from 2013.

The article started with, “While it may come as no surprise to long time Lebanon residents, others are shocked to learn that an underground cavern runs along the creek bed beneath the Lebanon Town Square.” So, that got me even more curious as to what or who was under the Lebanon square.

For those who know me I am sure you also know what is next… I had to see for myself. Why? Well, because if you hear something or read something, you cannot take it as truth until you see that something with your own eyes.

Yes, I went to the Lebanon square with my friend Jeff Paul who is an avid cave explorer. With words like “Cavern” in an article, what cave explorer would not be in!

Cavern: a cave, or a chamber in a cave, typically a large one. Or used in similes and comparisons to refer to a vast, dark space.

Jeff and I made our way down an old concrete wall and descended into the creek. A small water snake scurried away and under a rock as I landed into the slop that was about 2 inches deep.

Headed towards the square we made our way under the decrepit Gay Street bridge. I say decrepit because those who travel over it likely don’t see the aging condition of it from below. The cracks, how it sits uneven, etc.

From Gay Street we make our way under a paved parking area beneath Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center. You can see where past floods have washed debris under the bridge and parking pad, but no signs of people.

From Quick Lane we ventured under the sacred Capitol Theater. No, it’s not really sacred, but it is pretty cool to still have a movie theater on your town square. Especially one that sits inside of a building that was built in 1900, according to property records.

The 10,665 square foot theater sits about ten feet above Sinking Creek. The building is supported with thick concrete and iron girders likely from pre-1900.

At some point, a concrete ceiling was added in the tunnel under the theater allowing for water to pass without actually touching the beams supporting the building. Over the years, that concrete chipped away now exposing a mixture of steel rebar, iron and/or steel.

Still looking for signs of life and a cavern… as in the large room of a cave – we have found nothing and we were not under the main portion of the Lebanon square yet.

Turning towards the square we ventured under several boutique type shops that occupy buildings on South Cumberland Street (231 South) at Highway 70 or West Main Street that all date back to the early 1900’s if not before. I question the property assessor’s dates as many buildings in counties all over the state are labeled as being built in 1900 even though they were actually built sometime before that date.

As we step through water sometimes up to our knees, we make our way under the Southwest side of the square… or at least the buildings on the Southwest portion of the Lebanon Square.

The first thing Jeff notices on the rear of one of the buildings (Public Square 132), is a door to nowhere. The door is on the rear of the building 15 feet above our heads. If you were inside the structure and decided to step out for a smoke, you would fall into the creek bed below that we were standing in.

Jeff Paul points out the metal workings of what was once was a walkway, a fire exit with steps or perhaps a bridge to the neighboring movie theater. But, there is no rear door on the theater building which is maybe 10-feet from the rear of the building on the Southwest corner of the square.

We then venture towards and then under West Main Street. The tunnels grow darker, the water deeper. At this point, there is no dry spot for anyone to live. Openings every 40 to 50 feet are on one side of the tunnels allowing for storm runoff water to enter from above.

An orange extension chord hangs above our heads going from the underbelly of one building connecting to another about 100-feet away. Tree limbs washed down by floodwaters cling to the edge of the walls and a mixture of rock, concrete and mud sit on the floor covered by water. Still, no campers and few dry spots.

The structures above are made out of wood, no iron or steel beams… only wood with concrete and brick sides lining the tunnels at this point. Keep in mind, the above buildings date back to the 1900’s if not before.

Lebanon, TN was incorporated in 1801 and named after the cedars of Lebanon in the Bible. By 1850, the city had a population of 1,554 residents. It grew to 3,659 in 1910 and by 1960, a little over 10,500 people called Lebanon home. Today, the population is closer to 32,000.

As for the Lebanon Square, which we were partially under at this point, it dates back to the 1850’s. Early photographs are stored at the City of Lebanon Museum and History Center along with the Vise Library at Cumberland University. Some photos are also at the Tennessee State Library of Archives.

One photo is believed to be from 1859 and shows the northeast corner of the town square. Perhaps the Southwest corner also dates to the 1850’s… which is wild to imagine we were standing in a historic creek under historic buildings that are over 100 years old – 167 years old to be more precise.

Walking in water we made our way under what is now labeled “Betty’s Couture,” a small clothing store on West Main Street. The tunnel was dark and emptied into a swampy mess behind a row of businesses that front Highway 70 or West Main Street. We then took a right to head deeper and again, back under the Lebanon Square.

Stepping over what looked to be the old tile floor from years past, we made our way down another dark tunnel of water.

Could this be the way to the cavern that is noted in that 2013 article found in the Lebanon Democrat? Unfortunately, no. There was no vast cavern in a cave. It was only the cavern of tunnels and places for storm water to drain under the town square.

But wait… At the end of the last tunnel with the Neddy Jacobs Cabin above our heads, we found the opening of what looked to be a deep underwater cave. However, it would take diving equipment and more to venture into the deep waters.

No one is currently living under the Lebanon square and we did not see anything that would lead us to believe someone had been living under the buildings. If they were living under the buildings in the past, they have since moved on.

The melting pot of the universe

A cellphone shot...

Perhaps it is the crossroads of society or the melting pot of the universe - - the diversity of customers at a Waffle House is always unique.

In the crowded parking lot sits a newer model Mercedes, an older 1990’s Ford F-150, a minivan, two Harley Davidsons… just to name a few of the vehicles.

Inside you see some customers wearing ripped up jeans as if they are attempting to make a fashion statement. You see people wearing ties and dressed in their Sunday best. You see those who look to be construction workers taking a short break while enjoying some good cooking. All backgrounds, all colors and all walks of life uniting for one reason. Food.

At the cash register is an expectant mother with her son who looks to be about 5. An older couple sitting at the counter look down at the little boy as if to remember when they were where she is today. “Are you going to be a big brother to a sister or a brother,” they ask the child. Mom chimes in with a smile and says, “He will be a big brother.” The stranger, in his slow drawn out country slur then explains the importance of protecting his future sister to the little boy.

In the kitchen area, I see a man working whom I recognize that lives in one of the nearby motels. He is making conversation with customers about the football game he watched on TV last night. “How did Virginia do,” he asked a customer wearing a West Virginia ball cap. The customer responds, “They pulled it off against Kansas.” The employee then says, “I grew up in Nashville – I’m always pulling for Vandy.” It was nice to see this man, who I met when he was at his lowest point 3 years ago living in the nearby weekly rental, in his element of people. He was smiling, living and working with others in a way that looked to give him that one little word that so few experience… joy.

By a window seat, two women who appear to be a couple sit quietly. They are enjoying overcooked and crunchy bacon, just as they requested. They later make their way to the cash register telling their waitress, "Thank you." The waitress lights up as if no one has told her those two words of praise since her shift started at 4 in the morning.

An older gentleman who looks to be in his eighties sits by himself and orders a waffle. “Make it overdone – burn it,” he says. I can only imagine why? Perhaps his late wife once cooked breakfast for him before he hit the tractor each day. Maybe she burned the waffles daily on accident and he wanted to remember her and the lifetime they cherished?

Burned waffles… An entire study was once conducted on taste memories and how there is a factual link between the brain and the fork. Well okay, perhaps not a link between the brain and the fork, but an area of the brain that can encode a specific taste and tie it to a time and place of where it was previously experienced. It is called “Food Memory.” The study was done at the University of Haifa in Israel.

“If you really want to make a friend, go to someone's house and eat with him... the people who give you their food give you their heart.” - Cesar Chavez, American Civil Rights Activist (1927-1993)

The relax after the ride

“A man went looking for America and couldn’t find it anywhere” - Easy Rider

Life is that quick

Life in the Click of a Shutter...

It was a breezy April 2014 night in Nashville. His guitar was strapped to his back while walking behind the Frist Center. It was as if time stood still during this photo - capturing his hair and beard floating...

The night will never be the same again for him and I don't even know his name, his age or where he is from. But, I do know that the second is etched in the past.

What if you only have 100 years or perhaps less? That's it - frozen in a moment only for what feels like a second when you look back, later in life - like the snap of a shutter.

"I'm fifteen for a moment
Caught in between ten and twenty
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are
I'm twenty two for a moment
She feels better than ever
And we're on fire
Making our way back from Mars
Fifteen there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
Fifteen, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got hundred years to live
I'm thirty three for a moment
Still the man, but you see I'm of age
A kid on the way
A family on my mind
I'm forty five for a moment
The sea is high
And I'm heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life
Fifteen there's still time for you
Time to buy, time to lose yourself
Within a morning star
Fifteen I'm all right with you
Fifteen, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got hundred years to live
Half time goes by
Suddenly you're wise
Another blink of an eye
Sixty seven is gone
The sun is getting high
We're moving on
I'm ninety nine for a moment
Dying for just another moment
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are
Fifteen there's still time for you
Twenty two I feel her too
Thirty three you're on your way
Every day's a new day
Fifteen there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey fifteen, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got hundred years to live"

- Song by Vladimir John Ondrasik III, better known as Five For Fighting - Titled "100 Years"

Enjoy life, no matter what

Some people say that if you don’t enjoy your job, perhaps you are in the wrong field. I say, if you can’t enjoy life, perhaps you’re in the wrong field.

“Lighten up, just enjoy life, smile more, laugh more, and don't get so worked up about things.”
-  Kenneth Branagh, Northern Irish actor, director

His mother called him Vernon

“My name is Vern and only my mom called me Vernon… God Rest her Soul,” he said when I accidentally called him Vernon misunderstanding his quiet whispers when he introduced himself.

He lives in a small apartment located in Nashville that looks more like a former motel. He talked about how crack dealers knew the hours of management and sold only certain times of the day.

“If I were asked to define Motherhood. I would have defined it as Love in its purest form. Unconditional Love.” -Revathi Sankaran

Are local squares in communities known for diversity?

It is amazing to look back at history and see the variety of events that have taken place on the square in Murfreesboro, TN. While the history is not always pretty, it is still intriguing to consider the magnitude of events that literally touch every race, background, religion or belief.

The first documented execution on the local square took place in 1813, according to research dug up by County Historian Greg Tucker. The deceased was described as a black male known only as “Jess.” The Sheriff at the time conducted the execution.

During the Civil War the Union Army took control of Murfreesboro and used the courthouse as an observation and signaling tower in 1862.

Many stories still circulate about a young stranger who happened upon Murfreesboro where he told a crowd that he would climb the courthouse. The man who came to be known as “The Human Fly” did indeed climb the courthouse in 1923 and made it to the top where he slipped and fell to his death while waving. By the way, his body was never identified.

Men draped in white robes, better known as the notorious Ku Klux Klan, marched around the square in 1987.

Uncle Dave Macon Days started on the lawn of the courthouse with banjo pickin’ fun in 1978 and continued on the square until 1989. At that point the event moved to Cannonsbugh.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s, go cart races happened around the courthouse. When curbs and islands of concrete were installed it killed the racing idea all together.

For years, the square has been the ending point for the annual Murfreesboro Christmas Parade.

Last year, Muslim Youth met on the square and handed out flowers and cards of encouragement to those passing by.

And now for the second year, the square has been the home to Boro Pride, celebrating the LGBT community - which is where this photo was taken this past Saturday.

Astonishing really to look back and simply observe the variety of groups and individuals that would normally clash.

In closing, a little diversity...

"Well I'm not the world's most physical guy
But when she squeezed me tight she nearly broke my spine
Oh my Lola la-la-la-la Lola
Well I'm not dumb but I can't understand
Why she walk like a woman but talk like a man
Oh my Lola la-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola"

"Well I'm not the world's most masculine man
But I know what I am and I'm glad I'm a man
And so is Lola
La-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola
Lola la-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola"

-The Kinks, "LOLA" 1970

Looking Back: Life was a bit different then

Florence Browder was born in Smyrna, TN some 88 years ago in about 1929. Her life was positive and she raised two children… one of whom went on to graduate from college and become a teacher and another who retired from the U.S. Air Force.

Ms. Browder only made it to the 8th grade, which was very common in those days. Despite her lack of book education, she was smart and had dreams for her children, just as she still does today for her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

In 1929, the population of Rutherford County, Tennessee was just under 33,000 residents. Today it has grown considerably with approximately 300,000 residents. If you were to put that into percentages, Rutherford County has grown by 800% since 1929.

Silver Springs School is where Browder received her education and it is also where she went to church as a child. The building served two purposes in the 1930’s and 40’s. “It’s gone, it’s been gone,” she told me when describing where the school was once located on Florence Road. At the time, the school was in the rural country between Smyrna and Murfreesboro.

Silver Springs once boasted an attendance of 88 children in the 1940’s. When 1959 hit, the school saw a jump in students with 185 because another school called the Rosenwald School merged with Silver Springs.

The Rosenwald School was an African-American educational facility that was started in 1927 and eventually closed in 1960.

Looking back to her childhood she told me, “I always tell my great grandchildren that I wish I could swap with them and let them be raised when I was raised, they would’ve been raised better – I mean I’m trying to raise them, but they don’t understand – they don’t pay me no tention.” I told her, “I don’t think it’s you, I think it is everyone around them – society is quite different compared to when you were younger.”

Ms. Browder went on to explain her days as a child, “When the old people spoke you just did what they told you to do and no back talk. But now, the children just back talk and do whatever they want to.” 

In 1930, things were a little cheaper when compared to 2017…

• 1930 Average New Home $7,145… (2017 Average is $406,400 nationwide - 6/23/17)
• 1930 Average Annual Income $1,970… (2017 Average is $46,409 nationwide)
• 1930 Gallon of Fuel $0.10 Cents… (2017 Average is $2.38)
• 1930 New Car Average $640… (2017 Average is $34,968)
• 1930 One pound steak $0.20 Cents… (2017 Average is $5.20 per lb)
• 1930 Refrigerator (Electrolux gas) $144… (2017 there are hundreds from $350 to $5,000)
• 1930 Minimum Wage $0.25 Cents… (2017 Tennessee Min. Wage is $7.25)

“There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.” ― Sophia Loren

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