Timeline photos
This is my (homeless) friend, Stormy.
She has not been happy with me recently. “You are not a good person, Sage!” (I suspect she won’t be too pleased I’m telling this story.)
I appreciate the honesty and fresh perspective.
She doesn’t like that I take pictures of homeless people in difficult situations and tell their story.
She’s not alone. The general belief in addiction and mental illness and homelessness circles is to protect the identities of these people.
I don’t prescribe to that belief, obviously.
I don’t see these, often horrid, situations as a fault of the person. I see it as the fault of a brutal, anonymous machine that crushes anyone and anything that gets in its way to funnel money and power to a select few people. It’s grinding up the poor and weak first. And now I believe it’s coming for the middle class. It’s gutting the middle, turning more and more people into these untouchables that we then hate and judge.
I tell these stories as a form of protest. Like a big middle finger to the establishment.
But who knows. Maybe I could be wrong.
I prescribe to the idea that as long as you have a reason for doing what you do you are in the clear. Maybe it’s right. Maybe it’s wrong. But that will be determined by someone other than you.
I also have been deeply influenced by the movie, “The Whale.” It’s all about this idea of telling your truth no matter what it is. Maybe it will make things worse or maybe it will make things better. But you can’t know what the ultimate outcome will be.
Sorry Stormy. Your opinion matters a lot to me. But I really respect you telling your truth about me telling my truth. Just keep being you.
I love you.