BrittanyRothausen

Brittany Rothausen

Homeless Service Reflection 2

March 8, 2009 – Day 2

Today we went to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts and saw an exhibit entitled “Seeing Ourselves: Photographs of Safe Haven.” It was made up of photographs of homeless families who directed their own photos. It was a relatively small exhibit, but still very powerful. Perhaps the most inspiring image was of a 14 year old boy named Benjamin, who, despite being homeless, still stays true to his dream of joining the military. One thing I noticed about the photos is that none of the people look sad and the icturs always have a happy tone. That theme goes along with something we noticed at the Campus for Human Development yesterday. When we were reflecting with our group, Akeya brought up the fact that she always say people smiling, something she wouldn’t have expected given their circumstances. I find that really motivational. Afterall, we’re all given challenges to overcome in our lives and we all go through hard times. Being sad and depressed doesn’t solve anything and I admire these people for making the most of their situations and not letting homelessness destroy their goals.

In the evening we went to downtown Nashville and walked around. We had a lot of fun, but it was also somewhat of a saddening experience because I saw a lot of homeless people. Before this experience, I kind of doubt I would have even noticed them or paid much attention. After spending time at the campus for human development yesterday, however, I have a different understanding of what they go through.