Gene

As I was walking up Madison Street toward the train station, our eyes met and we exchanged a couple of pleasantries. He seemed eager for a conversation so I asked him if he had heard about $2 Portraits. He had not, but readily agreed to participate.

Gene is 67 years old and has lived in a homeless encampment at 41st & Halsted for the past seven years. He described it as an old construction site that had been abandoned and has since become a place for those homeless who cannot, or who choose not to, go to a shelter. Gene told me about someone who gifted him a Coleman tent and when it broke, Coleman replaced it for him for free. I asked him if he had any family in the area and he told me about his younger brother (65) who also lives at 41st & Halsted. Gene said he worked for the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times (newspapers) for about 35 years; I didn’t catch what he did for them. But now, he has some side hustles selling candy & novelties to supplement his income. He’s been struggling since Covid, as the streets have been very empty and he’s been unable to make the connections he was used to, however feels fortunate because he’s not had Covid.

In the 10+ years I’ve been making $2 Portraits, Gene is the most entrepreneurial of anyone I’ve spoken with. I was curious about the Venmo strap around his neck so he pulled out a Venmo card with QR code from which he can make sales of his novelties and take donations. He also told me about his gofundme.com campaign and his listing on Homeless Lives Matter. He also rattled off a couple of other websites he’s connected to. I scanned the QR code and sure enough Venmo came up with Gene’s name and novelty business.

I commented on Gene’s beard and he proudly stated he hasn’t shaved it since 2010. Every once in awhile his brother trims it around his neck because it gets caught in zippers. He said it keeps him warm in the winter time.

If I had a chair to pull up, Gene would have kept talking all morning. Having a train to catch, I thanked Gene for his time as I headed out. He thanked me for the $2 and kept on talking. Was a unique encounter, for sure. 

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f4.5 1/160 40mm equiv ISO 1250

Photographed 3/17/22