Rest and Relaxation

Photographer: Kirsten Nelson

"Almost Home" -Craig Morgan (Country Song)


He had plastic bags wrapped 'round his shoes
He was covered with the evening news
Had a pair of old wool socks on his hands

The bank sign was flashing "5 below
It was freezing rain an' spittin' snow
He was curled up behind some garbage cans

I was afraid that he was dead
I gave him a gentle shake
When he opened up his eyes
I said,"Old man are you ok?"

He said,"I just climbed out of a cottonwood tree
I was runnin' from some honey bees
Drip dryin' in the summer breeze
After jumpin' into Calico creek
I was walkin' down an old dirt road
Past a field of hay that had just been mowed
Man I wish you'd just left me alone
'Cause I was almost home..."

Then he said,"I was just comin' round the barn"
'Bout the time you grabbed my arm
When I heard Momma holler son hurry up
I was close enough for my old nose
To smell fresh cobbler on the stove
And I saw daddy loadin' up the truck
Cane poles on the tailgate
Bobbers blowin' in the wind
Since July of '55
That's as close as I've been

"Yeah, I just climbed out of a cottonwood tree
I was runin' from some honey bees
Drip dryin' in the summer breeze
After jumpin' into Calico creek
I was walkin' down an old dirt road
Past a field of hay that had just been mowed
Man I wish you'd just left me alone
I was almost home"

I said,"old man you're gonna freeze to death"
Let me drive you to the mission
He said,"Boy if you'd left me alone
Right now I'd be fishin'"

"I just climbed out of a cottonwood tree
I was runnin' from some honey bees
Drip dryin' in the summer breeze
After jumpin' into Calico creek
I was walkin' down an old dirt road
Past a field of hay that had just been mowed
Man I wish you'd just left me alone
'Cause I was almost home"

"Man I wish you'd just left me alone
I was almost home..."

Dumpster Diving

Photographer: Kirsten Nelson


"Moments" -Emerson Drive (Country Song)

I was coming to the end of a long long walk
When a man crawled out of a cardboard box
Under the E. Street Bridge
Followed me on to it
I went out halfway across
With that homeless shadow tagging along
So I dug for some change
Wouldn't need it anyway
He took it lookin' just a bit ashamed
He said, You know, I haven't always been this way

I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do
Like that plane ride coming home from the war
That summer my son was born
And memories like a coat so warm
A cold wind can't get through
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments

I stood there tryin' to find my nerve
Wondering if a single soul on Earth
Would care at all
Miss me when I'm gone
That old man just kept hanging around
Lookin' at me, lookin' down
I think he recognized
That look in my eyes
Standing with him there I felt ashamed
I said, You know, I haven't always been this way

I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do
Like the day I walked away from the wine
For a woman who became my wife
And a love that, when it was right,
Could always see me through
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments

I know somewhere 'round a trashcan fire tonight
That old man tells his story one more time
He says

I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do
Like that cool night on the E. Street Bridge
When a young man almost ended it
I was right there, wasn't scared a bit
And I helped to pull him through
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
Oh, lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments
I've had my moments
I've had my moments
I've had my moments

Artist's Statement

Located near the center of Tucson, the University of Arizona is a gorgeous campus that plays a large role in the characterization of Tucson and its people. Its multitude of vibrant students and the energetic hustle and bustle of classrooms, restaurants, shops, and streets create an aura of excitement and promise. Sometimes we, as students, have become too accustomed to the “good life” of the college campus. We grow and fortify these blinders that keep us focused on our daily routines; we are very good at following our habitual paths week after week. The proverbial bubble-of-a-school in which our lives burgeon neglects the hindrances of outlying events that exist in “the real world.” Beyond the boundaries of the University of Arizona lies an environment of Tucson that is not so “lovely” as our “collegiate world”--a world where not everyone gets to attend to expensive courses and earn degrees to acquire successful jobs. Amidst the city of Tucson lives the homeless community…yes, 'just another' community of the homeless. We say ‘just another’ because that is how we students see it, right? We live life untainted by the throes of those without homes or food or jobs, right? We see a homeless person and think "what a shame", or "I hope they don’t approach me," right? We see them as another statistical failure lost in the life of an American city. But, by the word 'them’ we really mean our fellow members of the Tucson community—the vast community that you are considered a part of. Through this photography project in which we investigate a particular community in Tucson, we want to raise awareness of the homeless community’s overlooked presence. We feel that it is important for students to examine a community in Tucson that represents the kind of reality that many of us so effectively disregard each day. We want our images to encompass an abbreviated summary—or at least a brief snippet—of the life of the homeless. Being aware of a community like the homeless that exists outside of our own is a meaningful realization. We believe that it teaches us not only that there are multiple demographic groups that make up the vibrant spirit of Tucson, but also teaches us a human lesson—that this project enhances our notion of the word community and eradicates this ignorance that we carry toward those overlooked.

The Forgotten

Photographer: Maddie Flavin

"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat." --Mother Teresa

A Children's museum with laughing children. A street fair playing loud popular music and people dancing to the beats. Horns honking from the Sunday morning traffic and impatient commuters trying to reach their destination. These are all the sounds heard in downtown Tucson on this Sunday morning, but walk about a block away from all this commotion in the heart of the city and there you will find the tranquility of Armory Park. In the center of the park you will find this monument honoring those who had served in World War I with the words "Lest We Forget" engraved on the side. "Lest We Forget" is often used to remember those casualties of the War and to honor those who had served. A very powerful monument in a park full of a homeless community who has simply been forgotten by the general public. In the back of this photograph we can see a homeless man reading a book, but surrounding him you will find a man sleeping under a tree clutching his possessions, or another searching through the garbage cans in search of something to eat or something valuable. While the city of Tucson honors and remembers the veterans of wars through the monument the city fails to remember the homeless community who calls Armory Park "home." The homeless community live life as "The Forgotten," and pray for something better in life someday, but first have to be remembered that they are living on the streets, rather than avoided

A Place To Rest Your Head

Photographer: Maddie Flavin

"All the things one has forgotten, scream for help in dreams." --Elias Canetti

Sometimes all you need in life is a nice place to rest your head, relax, and take a nap. Most times that nap takes place in the comfort of your own your down comforter bed , your over-sized couch, or even in the backseat of a car on a road trip. Naps are a time to relieve stress, rejuvenate, and dream. In this case, I captured a homeless man asleep in the middle of De Anza Park in Tucson off of Speedway Boulevard, on a beautiful Sunday morning in October. While most of us were possibly just waking up and ready to go to out to breakfast before Football Sunday or were still sleeping in from an eventful weekend and ready for a Sunday full of homework, this man was sleeping in broad daylight with all of his possessions around him. He does not own any down comforter nor pillow, and he uses the comfort of his zip-up jacket and backpack for some warmth and softness for his body to rest in this grassy park, even though it was 80 degree day. He sleeps curled up to protect his possessions of a lunch box and a bottle of root beer from being taken away--just like any home would--although, this man does not have a home; De Anza Park is his home for the day. Although unseen in the photo, this man is not the only person taking a nap in the park, as there are other people scattered amongst the park, with their possessions close by; some have grocery bags filled with random necessities while others just have the clothes on their back and a bag of Lay's chips. While these people sleep in their "home," we can hear the excitement and laughter coming from the beach volleyball courts, or see dogs chasing after frisbees, or even smell the BBQ over by the playground with the sounds of the busy Speedway Blvd. in the background. Little attention is ever paid to the the homeless community sleeping in the middle of the parks, as the park visitors just "let them be" and continue on with their fun-filled Sundays. The homeless people in the park may not have a permanent address, but on this October day they sleep and dream of future opportunities and whether they will have enough food and other necessities to survive through the next day. The nature of a 'home' is extremely flexible, in that it can range from mansions and estates to something minuscule, like this patch of grass. Whatever our notion of 'home' may be, it certainly puts in perspective where our expectations lie when it comes to defining comfort and livability. Would you be able to imagine sacrificing your mattress for an evening's or day's rest on the ground of a public park such as this, with your materials cluttered closely and a piece of clothing for a pillow? Or would we say "let them be?"

This Place We Call Congress Street

Photographer: Tyler Fix

"Here I am again. And yet this familiarity feels more uncomfortable than comfortable." -Jan Denise

I took this photograph in downtown Tucson as we were walking along Congress Street. I am not a Tucson local, but I realize that this a major, significant street. I imagine that it is walked by numerous people each day. However, this is a photograph of an alley off of Congress Street. One can read "Congress" across the green, rectangular street sign, but the name of the alley street cannot be determined--and I like that about this photo. It is just 'some' alley along Congress where only the homeless reside. Many people do not take the time to realize the subtle differences and details that border their everyday lives. People are preoccupied with the restaurants, shops, and businesses lining the main street. Meanwhile, what do you see and experience when 'sacrificing' your time to take a glance down a new path--this path of the homeless? Well, in this photograph, you see a plethora of colors and shapes and lines; the vast, visual aroma of the image swiftly hits your eyes. Initially planning on only devoting a head turn and a peek at the alley along Congress, you are now captivated by what you see. Sharp, metallic lines of wires dart across the sky, stemming from their body poles like thin threads of a spider's web.There are two STOP signs, one near and one far. It is as though the pair of signs are octagonal barriers, arresting the homeless within their mintute parcel of street along this alley. There is graffiti along the westward facing wall of a building, with exuberant swirls of color. The are multiple garbage bins. As you look down the alley, a homeless man sifts through a brown one, possibly looking for food, clothing, money, or a piece of shelter. In sum, you now realize something about your experience with this alley: the importance and impact of such an ignored alley offers more than just visual intrigue. This alley represents the unnoticed, "secondary-street-lifestyle" of the homeless--where they search for life's necessities and intangible answers to their sufferings within this subtle pathway, along this place we call Congress Street.

Distance

Photographer: Tyler Fix

"In solitude, where we are least alone." -Lord Byron

I captured this photo of a man who--before I clicked the button--had seemed jovial, good-spirited, and content with the day's new morning; he even made me laugh with a joke or two. However, when I requested that I take his picture, he elected to not translate his light words into a smile. Rather, he did not express a slight grin, nor did he look at the camera. The quote accompanying my comment encapsulates the immediate emotion that I felt when I looked at this gentleman. Despite being in a park where there were people playing volleyball and people walking dogs and people like me taking pictures, the sense of solitude that he conveys in the photograph is heavy and powerful. The notion that he is alone--despite my presence and kind demeanor--reverberates from this image. What is he thinking of? What is he looking at? I ask my self these questions each of the countless times that I stare at this photograph. Is he reflecting on his life? Is he wondering how he got here? Is he escaping into solitude amidst the presence a stranger--me--because, perhaps, that is all that he has known more recently in is life? Is he reflecting on how his economic struggle through life is a burden that he carries alone, without the care or thought of any other passing individual? Or does he just want to be left in physical solitude, without the bothersome company of just another student who knows nothing about being 'homeless'--just another student who does not comprehend, acknowledge, nor aid the community of people in Tucson like himself. Does he think his existence and role in life are far too trivial to pester the likes of a college student--that resting in his solitude is exactly where he ought to be?