TreskaDunbar

Treska Dunbar

Journal/Reflection

March 8, 2009

Today was a thought provoking day. Among the many exhibits at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts was the photography taken by homeless individuals from the Safe Haven shelter. This exhibit allowed me to think about homelessness and to see a different kind of visual representation of the homeless individuals. One of the most interesting pieces of the exhibit was a self portrait of Benjamin. The photo is of a homeless teenager who decided to serve his country. Later on, in the exhibit you view another self portrait of Benjamin that shows him as a man in uniform saluting his country. As a social work major we are made aware of the government programs that are available or not so available to the homeless population. It was interesting to me that an individual who was homeless would desire to serve our country. In my mind, the homeless would feel ungrateful to our country and feel as though our country is failing to provide them with the services that they need to be productive members of society. I feel as though we as a society fail to provide the necessary social services and programs to help these less fortunate members of our society lead safe lives with at the very least a bed to sleep in and some food to eat.

Another picture in the exhibit was a photo of homeless children with a dog. Yesterday at the Camus for Human Development a staff member informed us that they have cats running around to give the participants a friend. This photo had a message saying that the Safe Haven has this dog on staff to provide unconditional love and friendship to the people who use their facility. As someone who loves her puppy, I can completely understand the unconditional love that an animal can provide. This reminded of another item that I take for granted.

Another photo that really stood out in my mind was the photo of a little boy and a basketball. This story had a message beside it that said “I had a dream…Magic Johnson was there…He autographed the ball...” This reminded me that homeless children are just like any other child. Little boys all look up to some hero and aspire to meet that person. This reminded me that the difference between me and the homeless is as simple as food, shelter, and material goods. They have similar desires and aspirations. All little kids want to grow up and change the world or be someone famous; some sleep in a homeless shelter or on the street at night and some read bedtime stories and have mom or dad tuck them tightly into their warm bed.

Tonight as I was spending some time touring the city of Nashville, a presumably homeless man approached my friend and me and asked us for some money. Since neither of us had cash, he asked us to buy him dinner at a little restaurant down the street. I have been asked for money multiple times and every time I have the same reaction. What are they going to do to me? Is it safe to communicate with them? This time was no different. I was uncomfortable and scared. I realize they are human just like me, but I still have this idea in my mind that it is unsafe to make extended contact and allow them to lead you somewhere. I didn’t trust him for a moment. We followed him to his chosen restaurant, bought him food, and returned to touring the town. I realized that just as we returned to our lives of touring Nashville he would again return to his life of trying to find the funds for his next meal and a place to rest his head tonight. This made me sad, and allowed me to realize that we all have routines and roles that we play in society and unfortunately his role is the homeless man who has to panhandle for some money to buy a sandwich and a coke. If I want a sandwich and a coke I seldom think twice about walking up to the counter ordering and paying and going on with my life.