Gerald

Via Flickr:
SPNC - Year 2 - Instruction #24
"Surprise Yourself!" - Damien Chrobak
This image selection for the theme is not obvious, so please read on.

Near the corner of State and Lake in Chicago's Loop, he stood in the middle of the sidewalk, cup and sign in hand, asking every passerby for help. As he approached me, I told him about the $2 Portrait project. "Oh man, can't you do more than two?", he asked. We settled on $3 and began what turned out to be a lengthy conversation (surprise #1). When I gave him the money during the early part of our conversation, he counted it - making sure I was living up to our deal. We both laughed when I asked if he really thought I was going to rip him off (surprise #2).

Gerald was born in Mississippi but came to Chicago as a young child and has lived here ever since. He's 58 years old and was diagnosed with the AIDS virus about 4 years ago. On his wrist was what appeared to be a hospital wristband, but I couldn't read it and tell for sure.

Gerald lives on the streets and sometimes sleeps on the "L" trains. He used to work as a packer many years ago at a warehouse in Franklin Park. He was very proud of this job and continued to describe in great detail how he packed the boxes, taped them up and stacked them 5 or 7 high, depending on what was in them. Gerald wishes he could get that old job back, but when things slowed down many years ago, he was laid off.

I asked him if he had any family that could help him. He shook his head no and began to tell me about some of his family. He has a child who lives in Detroit who is 25 or 30 years old who he hasn't seen in several years. He also has a grandbaby who suffers from sickle cell. Gerald talked about his younger brother who died from sickle cell at the age of 23. And he talked about his father who was an "upstanding man" who at the age of 10 could name every car on the street.

Gerald asked me why I take photos of the people I talk to (surprise #3). I told him that it is a way to tell a story about people who are often forgotten and that I've met a lot of interesting folks. He wondered if some of the people I've met like being homeless because he doesn't, even though he's been so for a long time. I told him that some do and some don't…everyone's story is a little different.

We talked for about 15 minutes. Our conversation started on a more downtrodden note, but by the time it was over, Gerald seemed in better spirits. We shook hands and walked our separate ways.

For the surprises noted above, I decided to submit this for SPNC-Year 2-Instruction #24.

Taken 8/24/12