Holding a little dog in his lap, he was sitting on the corner across from Union Square, with a sign seeking money to buy food for his dog and himself. He had heard of $2 Portraits when I inquired and agreed to participate.
Arturo was a very friendly guy. At 53 years old, he’s been in San Francisco for 10 years. Originally from Mexico, he still has a lot of family there. I didn’t catch where in Mexico he’s from but he did say it was in a Mexican state south of Arizona. He has family in Phoenix and in Florida, but no family in San Francisco. We joked a little bit about his ability to travel back and forth once “the wall” is built and he said it won’t be a problem.
Being on the street is not a full time vocation for Arturo. He said that construction is what he’s done for many years and always has 2 or 3 customers he’s doing small jobs for…tile, carpentry, etc. When I asked why he’s on the street, he said it supplements his income and he gets the opportunity to meet some interesting people! Arturo chuckled when he described being able to pick out people from Spanish-speaking countries and just start a conversation in Spanish.
As we shook hands farewell, I wished Arturo “Feliz Navidad” and gave him $2.
Taken 12/2/16
