Thursday, September 6, 2012

Touching Base ... Not


Not far from where families were enjoying 
their picnics and playing ball, 
this man lay stretched on
a picnic table, a tube of Pringles and 
an "athletic drink" beside him.
It made me wonder about the nature
of being a solitary soul, with no one to 
whom one is responsible, no one who expects
to hear from you at some point during the
day, or within the week.
No one to miss you.
Every day or so, I check in with
my sister, and she with me.
I have friends I call on a pretty consistent 
schedule, "Is everything OK?"
"How are you?"
The little girl in yesterday's pictures
was learning to "touch base" while playing
with her family. Later on, it will extend
to relationships with other people.
The man above, by himself in the park, 
with no family or friends around,
made me wonder whether there is 
someone to whom he is responsible.
Who wonders where he is,
whether he is OK,
with whom he touches base.



2 comments:

dive said...

He certainly seems to be pretty relaxed about it, Speedway.

Speedway said...

I should probably have posted this picture with others I've taken of men sleeping in the shadows of buildings, on the grates, at the base, etc. This just seemed sad to me, compared to all the activity going on just beyond.

I did learn some time back that no one pays much attention to women out on their own, because they can be shopping, doing errands. Men are more noticeable because they are generally at a job. Sometimes, homeless and or hungry women show up at grocerys on sample days, because one can get food at that time. It's scary, Dive.