Tarmac Meditations #158: Walking Downtown Streets With a Camera

I used to run here from my house on the south side of town. I usually took the creek route through the park. The other day I found myself in a very different part of town,I was driving to the Hispanic grocery store and tortilla factory for no good reason when I stopped, parked the car, and got out.

I guess I had seen this guy sitting in a Godard-like frame

across the street from where I had stopped. I decided to take my camera out of the car and started shooting. Eventually I went over to get closer (I was using a 50-mm prime lens) to Matthew, from Michigan, as he introduced himself. We chatted for a moment while I took more images. He didn’t mind the camera and when I left he said, “Thank you for inquiring” after his well

being. He said, “Not every one does that,” and he appreciated being treated like a person despite his circumstances. I had had no idea what to say in response so I nodded and smiled and wished him good luck for later that day as it was getting colder. He smiled and said he would be all right and I went on my way, strangely buoyed up by the encounter. Later, as I was falling asleep I offered up a request to the powers that might be that Matthew be okay. I went back the next day. He wasn’t there. Nor have I seen him since. Maybe he is alright. I hope so.

Image Credit

Photos by Michael Lebowitz. All rights reserved.