A 12 Year Old's Journey Starts with Reaching Out

I’ve been wanting to find a way to use this picture in my blog for a long time.  Finally, yesterday, I had an experience I could write about that would work.  This picture is of a homeless person in New Orleans taking a nap on a bench. This is posted online at www.douggraybealphotography.com in my gallery under NOLA.  

I was walking around the French Quarter, looking for cool things and Interesting people to photograph when I first saw the mural and statue through a corridor.  I took a few pictures and then walked through to get a closer shot.  As I did, I couldn’t help but notice the homeless man sleeping on the bench. I think the mural is great but the connection between the man sleeping and the statue tell a story.  It is as if someone posed them.  Finally, his reflection in the puddle completes a triangle that makes the composition of the scene very interesting.  I wondered, how many people walk by and don’t even notice.

So, yesterday, I was out to brunch with my wife and two boys.  My oldest, Gavin, is almost 12 and thinks he is turning 25.  I know, typical.  The fun part is every once in a while we get a glimpse of what he will be like as a man.  As we were waiting for our table at the Moonshine Grill in downtown Austin, he came up with the idea of getting some food to give to a homeless person.  He saw a few people sleeping in a park and he said it wasn’t right for us to eat all we can while they are hungry with no food.  He then set off to find a place he could buy a burger, or a taco or some BBQ to give to someone.  Since it was Sunday morning, most places were closed and it looked like his idea wasn’t going to work out. 

Later, as we were wrapping up our feast (the Moonshine Grill is awesome, by the way) he brought it up again.  I then suggested he grab a muffin from the brunch to give to someone.  He came back with 5 muffins.  “Well, Dad, there are lots of homeless people out there”.  As my wife paid the bill, he and my younger son and I walked across the street to a park where he handed out muffins to several homeless people.  One person was sleeping so he left the muffin by his side for when he wakes up later.

When you think about life being all about the journey, you wonder what went wrong for those people.  I never thought I could help someone in that situation, but my 12 year old son never thought he couldn’t.   Maybe a photograph like this can help in some way.  Don’t just walk past with blinders on but see what you can do to help someone – anyone - in need.  My son Gavin made a lot of people happy yesterday, even if it was only for a moment.  I’d say that’s a good part of what the journey is all about.