Homeless

I started this blog as a photography blog, inspired by

my friend Bill's Photo a Day in 2011 blog. (Thanks Bill!)

 Somedays, however, my feelings

really influence what I say and the pictures I shoot,

or how I portray the photos I shoot.

Today was grey.

Fog.

Everywhere.

It brightened up for a short time, then returned to grey.

I was in downtown Des Moines.

My son requires medical treatment at the hospital every 4 weeks.

We had actually finished a bit early and I begged him to let me take

some photos around the river.

We drove down under the I-235 bridge and I took some photos of several

different things. Something struck me as we were directly

under the I-235 bridge going over the Des Moines River.

I could see trash everywhere.

I could see piles of belongings in various places,

obviously the belongings of some homeless souls.

I felt badly for them, not knowing who they were,

not even seeing any people there at all.

I have a warm, safe house, food to eat,

my son gets the medical treatment he needs, and everything we really

need for our family plus more.

And here are the homeless, people society has discarded,

living under the bridges thousands of people drive over

every day on their way to the mall, to work, to school, to appointments,

to anywhere they need to go.

No one notices them.

We don't see these people under the bridges.

And we'd be afraid to see these people.

Would seeing these people scare us because we'd fear

what they'd do to us,

or would we fear what it says about us as a society

that too many lost souls are living this way?

I am no better than the rest of society as I

prepare to sleep in my warm bed tonight.



God bless the homeless and the hungry,

the ill and the hurt. May they find shelter,

peace, comfort and kindness,

tonight and always.