Wednesday, April 29, 2009
As I sat and waited for Harry at the rescue mission, people with far less than I have, gave praise to the Lord and showed kindness to me, a stranger in their midst. I watched as they shook each other's hands and said hello to everyone. It was a blessing to see. I think about how great it is to have a place like the rescue mission; providing a bathroom, a warm meal, and a pastor to talk to. What would they do if they didn't have this place to come to. I can see why Harry considers this home even though he no longer needs to be here. It's sad to see how many people need this place. Their smiles warm my heart and their perseverance inspires me. Harry didn't show, so I'm going to go and check on him to see if he is at his normal corner. I hope I get to see him.<
I stopped where Harry normally stands, but I haven't seen him yet. With no way of getting in touch with him, I wonder, how would I know if he's O.K. Who looks out for him and who cares for him? I wonder, how many people walk by him every day and never once notice he's there? What does that do to the human spirit and how does one survive emotionally? What gets them through each day? Before this morning, I found myself feeling scared at the prospect of being on the streets in the next couple of weeks, living this emic perspective that my own circumstances have placed me in. There are moments I feel sorry for myself and complain about the problems surrounding me. Who am I to feel sorry for myself when there are people around me with far less who are still thankful because their basic needs are met. People who are still hopeful that this moment in their lives will pass. I wonder, how many people walking by me right now, on their way to work, would be willing to do what Harry and the other artists do to get by....
What do we find we can live without when we are forced to do so. The individuals I've interviewed so far have not only shared their story with me but have shown me both on a personal level and how they are with other people around them, that they are willing to give what little they have to help someone else in need. I have no regrets working on this documentary the last few months on my own, spending what little I had left to get the gear I needed and the supplies, but it's been a struggle. There were moments I couldn't film because I couldn't afford a ticket for the transit system to get me to the city, weeks I couldn't shoot because I couldn't afford the tapes I needed, and times I wanted to film but couldn't because I didn't have what I needed to pay for their interviews. It's important for me to do that because I understand, that's how they survive. I lost my jeep because I couldn't afford to fix it and if it hadn't been for the kindness of friends, who gave me a place to live for the last few months, I would have been homeless. There were moments I barely had anything in my refrigerator and countless days that I made one bag of ramen noodles last three days. There were personal moments when I questioned internally if I was doing the right thing and wondered, if this is right, than why am I loosing everything else around me. And then one day, when I was hungry: Harry gave me a sandwich. "We look out for own," Harry said. When I was about to be homeless: Will offered me a place to sleep in his tent. "We take care of each other out here," Will told me. Individuals with so little to give; offered me so much and I knew there was no walking away from this story. But I've hit a brick wall financially and with out the help of the local community and additional funding, I can't finish it. Having this funding means not going hungry over the final months of the documentary and it means being able to film on a daily basis.
All Video Clips and Photos of In Plain Sight: A Street Artist on the Fringe of Survival are copyright of Ailgif Studios.
|
e-mail: 
homepage: