"Mike"

This is the first portrait in my series.



I met Mike while sitting on a bench Monroe Street. He sat down to enjoy his free hot dog from the lady down the street, and I started a conversation with him...

Mike is a man 49 years of age, living on the streets of down town Grand Rapids...Currently jobless, attempting to receive unemployment/disability pay. Attacked and mugged a few streets down, he now suffers from trauma induced seizures. Even worse, he was mugged for two dollars. We spoke for hours, discussing the kind of jobs he's held over the years, the loss of his parents, and how he just keeps on keeping on, volunteering at a church, and walking 10 miles a day to see his brother, who was impaired after a car accident.

It's really amazing what some people go through in their lives...And when I sit down and think about the things I've seen all day, and the stories I've heard...

My problems really seem quite petty...