...What is your story, how did you get here?

I had a hard time choosing a photo today, but I kept coming back to this one. This was taken this morning in Bryant Park in NYC. When I lived in the City, I used to get the Sunday paper and go sit in Bryant Park sometimes when the weather was nice. It was never very busy, but it always felt strangely safe to me. Now it is a bustling place with lots of things going on all day. Hubs and I were there fairly early this morning - there were some people warming up for a bocce ball tournament and a few who were just enjoying a cool, sunny spring morning ... and then there were the homeless, the disenfranchised.

This guy had all of his belongings gathered around him and he was sharing his food with some pigeons and house sparrows, tossing out little bits and seeming to delight in their frantic efforts to grab a morsel. I liked this particular shot because it captures a tiny bit of the character of his face. And it makes me wonder ... who are you, and how did you end up homeless in NYC? What is your story? There were several other seemingly homeless men in the park, mostly napping in the sunshine, one I had seen yesterday and very nearly blipped. They all have a story, as we all do, I suppose.

I have posted 11 shots, taken yesterday and this morning in my New York City Set on Flickr, starting here, if you are interested in having a look.

Thank you for the rather overwhelming response to yesterday's Alpha Man, and to my incredibly good news. I am still pinching myself with respect to the fact that I don't have to go back for another scan for 5 years! When I first started this journey, I couldn't think this far ahead. For the first few years, I worried endlessly about a regrowth, as I suppose most people do. Gradually, I've come to worry less about it, and also to come to terms with my "new" life.

As for the Alpha Man...many of you wondered if I had asked permission to photograph him and I have to tell you that I did not. I was sitting 20-25 feet away from him, in a sea of people and I just positioned my little camera, snapped off 3 shots, and continued people watching. The thing about a place like NYC is that people aren't put off by cameras. And it seems that half the people in the City are underemployed actors/singers/dancers, so being in the camera's eye doesn't feel strange to them.

All of your positive comments have given me added incentive to do this again. I've got an appointment with the therapist who has treated my facial nerve issues for the last 3 years coming up in a few weeks. She is going to be in NYC for a couple of day and I will be traveling in to see her. My plan is to come in early and spend the day doing photography before my late afternoon appointment with her. Should be fun!

I will try to catch up on comments and journals - I am woefully far behind and for that I offer my humblest apologies. Needless to say, I have been distracted recently, building up to yesterday.

Happy Saturday (or Sunday for those of you on the other side of the world...)

xxoo
Debbi