I want to thank everyone who helped to put the homeless mother of two in a hotel room for the time that she has with her kids. If you missed my original post, the mother lives in a tent and her children live in a local Christian orphanage, which she placed them in when she became homeless. She will have the children to herself over the next nine days. It will be a great time of bonding.
The mother was so grateful for the room and the two boys, ages 9 and 10, are very polite. One of you gave me gifts to give them… You can see the excitement in their eyes when they unwrapped them. The mother gave the children the gifts and the kids thought the presents came from her. It was awesome.
I had enough money left over to give her $80 in cash to take the kids out to eat a few nights. I also had to pay a $100 cash deposit with the room, because I did not want to use my credit card. Therefore, when she checks out she will have an additional $100 to purchase food for her camp.
It was indeed a good day today.
“I wonder if other mothers feel a tug at their insides, watching their children grow up into the people they themselves wanted so badly to be.” ― Jodi Picoult, bestselling author of twenty-three novels
Judging - Worth Reading...
After he got out of jail the first thing he wanted to do was to hold his cat that he had not seen during the time he was behind bars.
As I sat in his dimly lit motel room with stained sheets on the bed, I watched him play with the young kitten. The world around him was silent. The cat was the one thing in his life that fully accepted him. Despite his drinking, cursing or even anger… the cat was the one constant that never judged anything that he has ever done.
I have used this quote before, but I like it:
“Judge tenderly, if you must. There is usually a side you have not heard, a story you know nothing about, and a battle waged that you are not having to fight.” ― Traci Lea LaRussa
In the case of the man photographed:
- His father, who served in Vietnam, died of cancer when he was only a teen.
- One of his twin daughters died at five months of age. The other daughter who is still alive today, has lived with a distant family member since the death of her sister. The last time he saw her was when she was three. Today, the family member lives in another city and will not allow him to see her. Today, she is about 12.
- He has lived on the streets for multiple years fighting alcohol and life.
- One more thing… He went blind at age 15. Today, he is 34.
It’s easier to understand where someone is in life, once you know a few more details about their past.
F President Bush
"Get this on tape, I want the world to hear this... F President Bush, he is a XXXXXXX," he shouted. Then he talked about youth football and how it was harming American kids.
From Shelbyville, Tennessee
“Sir, welcome to Nashville – where are you from and are you a Christian,” he said to me in a slightly panicked voice as if he were afraid I’d walk away before he could finish his question. I smiled, “Yes… are you?”
He then said to me, “If you saw someone who was homeless who hasn’t eaten in days, would you help them?” I told him that I would and then asked him to point that person out to me.
“Could I please have a dollar,” he asked. “Here’s a dollar, where are you from,” I inquired with curiosity as it seems as if no one is actually from Nashville. He told me, “Shelbyville, Tennessee – about two hours from here.”
He sketches nude women
He was wearing pants that appeared to be made of a sweater, or sweater material. One shoe had shoelaces, the other none. He was crouched down in the shadows of a building in downtown Nashville. Walkers passed by giving an odd glare at his drawings.
My conversation went like this: “So, how long have you been drawing naked women,” I quietly asked. “Ever since I learned how to draw about three years ago,” he told me. He then elaborated on the different poses as he thumbed through twenty or more sketches in his portfolio.
“I just moved to Nashville from Quincy, Illinois,” he said in almost a whisper. “I’m 38.”
“What do you do with your artwork,” I asked him. “I go down to FedEx and I Xerox copies and sell them… If someone wants the original, it costs more,” he told me. “I also draw hermaphrodites,” he said… “My brother use to date one.”
“Art is what you can get away with.” ― Andy Warhol (1928-1987)
Walking the streets
His cheeks were sunken in, his body frail. It looked as if he had not had a square meal in weeks if not months.
Howard was first sentenced to prison on January 20, 1981. He was later released on parole, but found himself in and out of trouble. Today, he wanders the streets of Nashville in search of change at the age of 57.
“Why did you do to get sentenced to prison,” I asked. “I killed four men in a poker game,” he told me. When I asked him to describe what happened he simply responded, “They cheated me.” I asked, “Do you still play poker?” He told me no with a slight smile. I then asked him, “Do you still kill people?” With a laugh he said, “No, I learned my lesson.”
“I want to quit drinking, I’m tired of this,” he said while looking down at the cracks in the sidewalk. It was as if he and I were the only two on the streets talking. “I’m ready for rehab,” he said with a disappointing frown. I gave him the phone number of a rehab center that offers scholarships for the homeless. He took the number and calmly walked away as if he were about to cry. "I'll call tomorrow," he said when he left.
“Addiction is the primary way people escape the modern world. Unfortunately, it is destroying the modern world.” ― Christyl Rivers
Mechanic Mike
They call him “Mechanic Mike.” He lives atop Hippie Hill in Tennessee and he always has a project beneath his hands.
“Your family – how you feel about yourself and your health – those are the real measure of your success or failure in a human’s short adventure called life.” - Henry "Smokey" Yunick. Smokey was an American mechanic and car designer associated with motorsports. Yunick was deeply involved in the early years of NASCAR. (1923-2001)
Children living as children
She ran freely from one dog to another as if to check on them one by one. She happily lives at Hippie Hill in Tennessee
"Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you." - H. Jackson Brown, Jr..
Good ole' Dwight on Hippie Hill in TN
I shot this at Hippie Hill yesterday. This is Dwight, super nice fella. I went out there with the Beesley Animal Clinic to give free vaccinations for dogs and cats on the hill. The folks really appreciated it. I don't think Dwight's cat was too find of it though, judging by the claws.
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect." ~ Mark Twain
Dog Day at Hippie Hill
Today I got to head out to Hippie Hill with the Beesley Animal Clinic to vaccinate the dogs on the 40+ acre site. This was our 12 month follow up visit to re-vaccinate and provide tags for the animals at the hill, free of charge. The owners were very appreciative of the service.
When I think of Hippie Hill, I think of individual freedom to be yourself.
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, Live the life you’ve always imagined." ~ Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
Have You Met Sonny?
If you have ever been to the Nashville Flea Market at any point in the past 30-years, you have likely met Sonny Helmer. He is a ball of fire at age 86. Sonny sells antique rotary dial phones at the market during the last weekend of each month.
Prior to restoring old phones, he was a musician. In fact, he sings at the market as you walk past his booth. If you tell him your name, he will sing a customized song on the spot using your name while playing his electronic keyboard.
Sonny told me this past Sunday that he was “Almost Famous,” which is also the title of his book.
Sonny spent 70 years in the music business and had played along with great names like Tommy Dorsey, Louis Armstrong and others. He even played trombone with Al Hirt, led a band in the Jackie Gleason night club for five years and spent ten years leading the band at Disneyland in California and later Disney World in Florida.
If you see Sonny, thank him for his service to our country too. During the Korean War, he was a member of the 392nd Army Band.
Pat Steele is an artist
“My name is Pat Steele,” he told me… “I’m 55 years old and life has been a blessing only because of the Lord.”
As we talked it was obvious to me that he is an artist. His art is finding old scraps from buildings that are being torn down and utilizing what he finds to make bed headboards, benches, wall hangings and more. Oh, and he corrected me when I said old buildings by saying, “Some of it’s out of old boats, some of it’s out of old trees, some of it’s out of old buildings.”
He then told me that he loves raw and old material to create new things with: “Anything that is raw – Everything gots’ its own level of respect and I try to respect it. Even people being created in the image of God, even they are something special because you’ll never meet one that’s the same and that kind of stuff interest me.”
About Pat Steele:
“I trained combat engineers for the Army. I got out and couldn’t adjust to society so I got into trouble. 30 years ago I went to prison – got out of prison and was recruited back into the Army, got hurt and couldn’t make an assignment.”
You can find Mr. Steele at the Nashville, TN Flea Market on the last weekend of each month. There, you can see what his eye sees.
Artist Peter Max once stated, “I never know what I'm going to put on the canvas. The canvas paints itself. I'm just the middleman.”
He misses her
“I’ve seen - - I don’t know how many friends get murdered and die. I mean, Knoxville is a cool place, but it’s treacherous for the homeless. I’ve seen them die. That’s why I’m up here in West Knoxville,” Steven Henn told me. Evidently, the West Knoxville area is safer for homeless due to the upper income of West Knoxville residents.
The 55 year old then paused while describing his current life, “I lost my girlfriend.” When I asked how she died he said with tears in his eyes, “She… I think her liver… She did not tell me things that were wrong with her because she did not want me to know that she was dying. I knew she was dying, but it happened real quick - - gosh darn I miss her so much.”
His leathery skin was a mix of red and orange. His body covered with scars followed by tattoos.
I asked him about his childhood and he stated, “I was born in Indiana and my dad moved us to North Carolina when I was 13.” He went on to describe the atmosphere of where he spent his teenage years, “Back when I was a kid a guy use to put a gun to our head and he said – You beat this boy up or we’re gonna shoot ya.”
“Poverty entails fear and stress and sometimes depression. It meets a thousand petty humiliations and hardships. Climbing out of poverty by your own efforts that is something on which to pride yourself but poverty itself is romanticized by fools.” - J. K. Rowling, screenwriter and film producer
No substitute for hard work
When I saw him he was talking to someone whom I could not see. The person or persons were in his imagination. I saw that he was agitated at something as he yelled, but when I approached him to talk he was calm, nice and outgoing. He was proud to tell me that he does roadwork for a living.
60 Year old Bill has done roadwork his entire life in East Tennessee. He told me, “I rarely ever get sick because I’m always working outdoors.”
He told me that he loves the Sevierville area, but stated, “I once visited West Virginia and it was beautiful.”
“There is no substitute for hard work.” - Thomas A. Edison
Standing Guard in Murfreesboro, TN
Standing Guard in front of the Murfreesboro Police Department: Since the FBI warned of police killing ‘purges,’ local citizens are becoming more concerned about the safety of men and women in blue.
As of Monday (7/11/16), a direct threat against law enforcement in Tennessee has not been made. But, that is not stopping an armed Tennessee Army National Guard Specialist from standing guard in front of the Murfreesboro Police Station for the next 24 to 48 hours.
Specialist Will Ray told me that after talking to a Murfreesboro Police Officer who told him about the so called purge, he and several friends decided to start “Operation Blue Streak.”
Specialist Ray stood in front of the Murfreesboro Police Headquarters Monday to protect and look out for the men and women in blue.
I asked him what he was armed with and he told me, “Well, I’m a medic with the field artillery unit, so um, pretty much I’m just in my regular fatigues, my load bearing vest with my medical gear, I’ve got my medical bag in the car and my Ruger .40 with me.”
The Tennessee National Guard was not as enthusiastic about the idea as Specialist Ray was on Monday. They ordered him to stand down when they found out about it.
The Guard released a statement that read, "He was not called up by the Governor. He was acting out of his own accord and his unit has been notified. He has also been notified that he cannot do this as a representative of the Tennessee National Guard. If he still chooses to do so out of uniform, then that is up to him."
Alone on a bike
By looking at someone, it is hard if not impossible to know their story.
One time, this 40 year old man jumped on his inexpensive Huffy bicycle and decided to ride it from Rhea County, Tennessee to Sturgis Michigan. The ride took him a total of three weeks to complete. I asked, “Did you ride alone?” He looked to the right and swallowed, “I did.” I inquired more, “Was it ever lonely?” He smiled, “Not at all.”
As for food, he simply asked others for money along the way. Amazingly, he never went without, sleeping on the roadside in a tent each night and staying in a motel if and when he had the funds to do so. The trip cost him a little over $500, but keep in mind he left with nothing. Only a bike, a tent and a change of clothes.
But, why the ride?
He rode the mountain bike to Michigan to visit his daughter on her third birthday after he broke up with his daughter’s mom the year prior. The mom then moved to Sturgis with their daughter.
After he stayed in Michigan for a full week, it was time to say goodbye. He got to peddling and headed for Ohio, a state he had never seen. From there, he decided it was time for a break and took a Greyhound from Ohio to Manchester, Tennessee where he worked for a moving company for two years.
One day, he plans to hike the Appalachian Trail with his younger brother who is 35. In case you are not familiar with the trail, it is about 2,200 miles long and yes – he plans to walk all of it. Someday.
“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” – Anais Nin
A Black Lives Matter Rally
A Black Lives Matter rally was held on Saturday night in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The woman who organized the event told me something that for the first time, helped me to understand why they take offense when onlookers yell “All Lives Matter.”
Kaymi Butler stated, “Right now everybody’s saying that all lives matter, and that is completely correct. But, you’re not gonna’ go to a breast cancer rally and say, What about skin cancer? You know why, because it’s disrespectful. So… When people are saying to us all lives matter we’re not ignorant to the fact that all lives matter, but right now black lives matter because our black people are getting killed. So that’s why we’re out here.”
I can walk, but I have neuropathy
“I can walk, but I have neuropathy and my feet hurt really bad,” she told me. I glanced down at her feet and noticed they were swollen to the point where you could barely see her toenails.
As we talked I watched people pass her by. She looked me in the eye and said, “People ignore me, they try not to make eye contact.” Despite the fact that most refused to even look at her, she made an effort to tell everyone to have a nice day.
When I asked where she was from she laughed and said, “In the past eight years, I have lived in California, North Carolina, (pause) Tennessee and now here… Florida.” As the heat from the Orlando sun beat down on her it was obvious that she left something behind in Tennessee from the way she said “Tennessee” while glancing down. Without me even asking she remarked, “My children are in Tennessee – I gave them up so that they would have a better life than I could provide.”
At age 45 she lives on the streets. Her home is the entryway to an auto repair shop whenever they are closed at night.
“What a weary time those years were -- to have the desire and the need to live but not the ability.” ― Charles Bukowski, poet (1920-1994)
Grey Street
"Oh look at how she listens
She says nothing of what she thinks
She just goes stumbling through her memories
Staring out on to Grey Street
She thinks, “Hey,
How did I come to this?
I dream myself a thousand times around the world,
But I can’t get out of this place”
There’s an emptiness inside her
And she’d do anything to fill it in
But all the colors mix together - to grey
And it breaks her heart"
-Dave Matthews, Grey Street
World is Beautiful, Crazy and Tragic
America is going from one tragedy to another, second after second. I don't think people know how to process everything.
This photo is from Orlando in the downtown area about one mile from the Pulse night club where the shooting took place around three weeks ago.
"The world is a crazy, beautiful, ugly complicated place, and it keeps moving on from crisis to strangeness to beauty to weirdness to tragedy." - David Remnick, American journalist