Photo Stories

This is Sirach. He is Ethiopian which I know because we got to talking about his light eyes and I complemented the way his gray beard looked with dark features. He told me his brother, sister, and mom live in Indiana, and also that his name is from the old testament; Something about Jewish work originally in Hebrew. While I was shooting him he seemed so stoic so I asked if anyone else has ever done this to him and he said a couple times, people have asked to take pictures of him in that very square. Approaching him he became warm, smiley and friendly. I asked him why he was in Union Square specifically, and he said this is where he comes each day to interact with people. What’s sad is I was in the square for a long time, and I seemed to be the only one who really did interact with him- he left when we stopped talking and I moved to my next subject. The impact that a simple human interaction can have on ones day is detrimental. Some interactions may not be so meaningful to you, but for a stranger it could be what made their entire day.

Before approaching the man above he actually asked me if I was “good” because I was pacing the square looking for subjects. Little did he know that by doing that he was actually inviting himself to be my next subject of that day. I asked to hear all his names as he informed me he had multiple. Everyone calls him Ahu which is short for Elijah but his “jackie draper jackie paper name” (which is a reference to Puff The Magic Dragon and means legal name) is Maurice Lewis Hackett. Hackett is Irish, Lewis is German, and Maurice is French which was important for him to add. I also learned his background and that he was born in Washington D.C. His family all lives throughout states in the South. He told me about how he collects things he finds on the ground and in the dirt, and he strongly believes that when you are in need of something, the earth will give it to you. He trades the things he collects for more valuable things, and sees it as a gift from the universe. It’s beautiful to hone in on the small things that make people think. He gifted me with three of the things he’d collected that day and I was honored. He even offered me one of the very few useful items he had which was a jacket that he’d been using as a pillow.

(More photos of Maurice on my Full Gallery page).

During some point in our talk, an old couple sat down on a bench next to us and started smoking cigarettes. The couple began making these concerned looks at us, and also just me, for interacting with him. Maurice then pulled out a cigarette nub and gently walked over to them… “Can I get a smoke?” To which the woman in one of the photos sharply replies “No.” I say to Maurice, “that was cold.” And he replies, “It’s okay, they probably don’t have enough to share.” They had a full pack. We continue talking and after a few minutes he walks back over to them and just says “Is there any way I could just get a light? Mines broken-” When he says this I just put up my camera and immediately started taking photos of the interaction. His dialogue sounded like any average stranger kindly asking for a light. The couple obviously sees me and the man stands up, tries to light Maurice’s cigarette nub, but hesitates to touch him and ends up just giving him the lighter; I think also because he did not want it back after Maurice was touching and using it. These details do not go unnoticed. Before walking back to the other bench Maurice mumbles to me, “Man do I live in Twilight or something? Swear I live in Twilight.” I thought him saying this was very interesting in that twilight is like another dimension, place between dystopia and utopia, has no boundaries, and I thought I might have realized why he said that. The homeless community is surviving everyday amongst people simply living. Everyone else seems all the same in that they are all doing practically the same thing in the eyes of someone who does either none of it, or a significantly less amount. Almost everyone around them pretends they don’t exist, is negative towards them, or just simply ignores them. I could imagine that making me feel like I’m in a simulation or another world too. That is why it is important for society to be more inclusive to the homeless community. When you make eye contact with them, acknowledge their existence. You’ll find that a majority of their eyes will soften and smiles will grow- they’ll probably make your day, and you’ll probably make theirs. If you’ve had a genuine interaction and someone wants to shake your hand, shake it. You can wash your hands later. Never underestimate how inhumane avoidance of touch can make someone feel.