shelter

Street photography has really grabbed my attention. I love the idea of meeting people who I wouldn't ordinarily meet and talking with them about random thoughts, ideas or experiences. I have recently talked about some positive experiences that I have had with people I met on the streets. This photograph illustrates something exactly the opposite. I titled this entry "shelter" because this is a photograph of a man's home. It is simply a cardboard box underneath him and another box wrapped around him. Hardly a shelter in most people's view. I never spoke with this person nor saw their face.

Unlike the many positive experiences I have had seeing this person made me very sad. I do not want anyone to have to live like this and I hope this picture encourages others to think about the many people who don't have a home. It made me think about charitable giving and I am not talking about the tax deductible type. This man like so many could have used the $5 that I had in my pocket much more than I could have. I should have left it for him but I didn't. I hope someone came across him later in the day and had a wonderful experience or story. Perhaps he is as happy as Tex and seemingly content with his life on the street, but this photograph makes me fear otherwise.

Next time a "bum" approaches me for money I am going to remember this shot and remember I need not make assumptions because they can quite likely be wrong.

This is the last post from NYC for a while. This post is a bit heavy for me and I want to focus on something more inspiring. Hopefully I can do that in the coming days.