Those Who Roam Together

Some call them vagabonds or drifters or tramps or floaters or vagrants. But when you take the time to talk with them, those terms no longer apply. After work and before I went home to the family, I went "across the tracks" to see if I could muster up an "old world" mono image or two of a gritty urban street scene. And it was there that I was delighted to have met this travelling crew.

They had come into and would leave our fair city via a rail car but, res assured, it was not the Amtrak train. All together there are twelve of them and they travel with three dogs. Most have them have been travelling together for in excess of six months. Each seemed to be from a different state and their ages ranged from the late teens to the mid-thirties. They were from all types of family backgrounds and several had left quite routine jobs prior to their meandering ways. But, what struck me most is that despite the diversity of ages and backgounds and reasons for roaming, they seemed like one big and happy family and were loving their lives together on the road. In my brief time with them, I could tell that their bond to each other was incredibly strong. A new family they have formed.

As I walked away, John (the most outspoken of the group and the man in the center of the image where I concentrated my shot) sprinted up next to me to ask if I would travel with them and document in words and images their collective lives. I said thank you but no. However, given the horrific and over scheduled day I just had at my office, I had to think about my response a moment or two. I quickly realized that I would miss my real family far to soon :)

If you have time, check out in LARGE the devlish glare of the fellow behind John. And, yes, the group had handcuffed him for "stepping out of line."

With Monday well behind us all, we move upward and onward!