Photography...I like it.

When I was little I never had much of an attention span for reading books. I did however like the pictures, they often told the story for me.

When I take a picture like the one above, I can only hope to catch a minute part of reality. A photo often reminds us of things we have forgotten, or show us moments we often miss with our naked eyes. It is beautiful to see someone glance at a photo, and see the pilot light of memory ignite in their eyes.

When I look at the photo above, it takes me right back to that very moment I took that mans picture. The story goes like this;

It was Sunday, a Bronco football game kind of Sunday! I had my Bronco hoodie on, as well as a plethora of layers to keep me warm on this very, very chilly day. I was enjoying the company of friends, and strangers as we tailgated before the game.

Rarely do you ever find me, at fun events without my camera. This is not in a egotistical let me take photo's of myself kind of way. No...for me it's capturing what I see all the time.

My brain it will take a smile of a loved one, and freeze that beautiful smile in my brain forever. Sometimes words just cannot express quite like a photo can.

The tip of my nose was cold as ice, in my hand I held a tasty hot off the grill Bratwurst. I slam that thing down like there is no tomorrow. Brat what, where? Ahhh, I have tried the suave chew your food at least twenty times approach. Ummm, only to find it annoys the hell out of me to count while trying to enjoy my meal. I barely made it through Algebra class, and now I should count when I eat? LoL

I am classy, always being a lady, a lady who can sum her eating up by.."Now you see it, now you don't." Simple, I get 'er done.

Everyone is having a good time, throwing the football, enjoying friends, food, and just serenely happy. I mean come on, anytime you get a chance to go to a Bronco game...by GAWD GO!! I have never been to a game and had just an "ok" time! It is FUN divided by a thousand, and then multiplied by thousands more!!

I was chillin like most Cc's do, sitting solo, ready to shoot my camera, like a cowboy stands ready to draw and shoot his enemy. REALITY: Perhaps it was not like that, I think it was more like..I was sitting and the camera was within close physical proximity. LoL

People were everywhere, come one, come all (Raiders fans... please stay home).

Then here walking towards our group comes this homeless man. I swear the happiest drunk man I had every seen. Like jolly, belly laughing, fun loving kinda happy. He was as harmless as a butterfly, and his face told so many emotions.

As always I offered him a smile, and asked him if I could take his picture. He said, "Me...why would you want a picture of me?" I smiled, and I said "Your smile...I like your smile."

Here was a man who was not asking for anything, and was jolly as day just passing by. He stopped, and was very verbose with our group. Happily chatting, but mostly laughing away.

I chuckled at this homeless man laughs as well, yet I found myself feeling just how lonely this man really was.

His eyes were windows into what I could only imagine to be a tough story, now glazed over by alcohol. A few people...quick to judge and uncomfortable with the stigma of a homeless person proudly sported their egos. A man from my group whom I did not know, chatted and laughed with this homeless man. I heard a few people say to their friend, "Man dude why would you talk to that guy?"

I admired how he made a man who felt invisible, beat down, and worthless feel engaged in conversation for a moment. Just two people sharing a laugh, and a little conversation.

Who are we to judge even a homeless person? We will never know there full story, never. I will never kick someone when there down, and that is why I love this picture.

If you know me...then you know the only time I look down on people is when I am offering them a hand up. I have been beat down in this life, and unconditional love has come from many helping hands. We have all been there.

You know what it feels like to have someone help you up, give you a hug and say, "Man I love you, we have all been through tough times before, how can I help you?" Then we all know the feeling of the hand that says, "Man what a dumb choice, I told you so. You never listen though."

Man talk about just wanting to let go, and fall back down when people come from that negative judgemental place.

Another reason why I connect to this picture is...

I recall being 8 months pregnant with my son, and my daughter was a little thing herself. I had a "husband" but he was just that...a title. I rarely saw him, and for years went about raising the kiddos, and living with a stranger called my husband.

As I was saying, I was 8 months pregnant and was walking into the mall. It was freezing cold outside, no way really..not Colorado? LoL

I parked the car and gathered my purse, diaper bag, and daughter Kaitlyn and headed towards the entrance of the mall. Now Kaitlyn was small and it was icy, and many cars were in the parking lot so I was carrying everything, including Kaitlyn.

I was walking at a brisk pace, with a little one whispering in my ear "Mommy its colddddd." I said, "I know sweetie, we are almost there."

I approach the very busy entrance, it was the holiday season and I was full of a gregarious spirit! Before I knew it...my feet slipped on a piece of ice, and I knew at this point Mama was going down!!

I had a matter of nano seconds to put my motherly instincts into play. I had a baby inside me to protect, and a kiddo on my hip to protect. Naturally my purse, and diaper bag they get dropped first.

I braced my daughter against my chest, and I put my arm down trying to break my earthquake of a fall. I did anything and everything to make sure my pregnant ball of a belly did not hit the icy hard pavement, and that Kaitlyn would be ok.

End result...we all are fine, thank the good Lord (big bruise on my tail end though, lol). Now for those of you who do not know, when you are eight months pregnant you need your own zip code. I remember trying to even tie my shoes...quite the challenge! So there I laid...and when your this pregnant laying with a hurt ass (for lack of a better word) and trying to get up requires great effort.

So there I was, Kaitlyn crying out of sheer "we fell" not pain cry. My purse and diaper bag strewn in the middle of the street, and me trying to figure out how to get up off this ice.

It was like everything paused for me...Kaitlyn was crying, people walking by, cars driving past, but for a moment everything was stagnantly still and quiet.

People... over a dozen just staring, and I remember thinking how nice it would be if one of them just offered me a hand up. I promised myself then...that there would never be a day in my life that I would ever be to busy, or uncomfortable to offer anyone a hand up.

I had Kaitlyn stand up in the middle of the street crying, as I rolled onto all fours, yes like a dog, lol. Got up, gathered my thrown belongings, my cold crying daughter and pressed on.

When this homeless man fell, in a drunken stooper it reminded me of the day I fell. He sat there and chuckled for a good few minutes, and when I saw the man from our group offer him a hand up my heart filled with warm smiles.

I hope my ego never keeps me from being the change I wish to see. I revel in random acts of kindness, and know I measure success by how many people I am able to bless.



I can always promise you this, the truth, a smile, and to never judge you. I don't care how well, or how little I know you, In a world full of people who will watch you fall and stare, I will offer you a hand up. Now if I am full of energy, I just may ask you to skip along with me for a bit! LoL, This Tigger can skip!



Life is to short to "Eyore" around, its a choice, you want the sweet taste of honey?? Then make like a Pooh Bear, and let nothing come between you and your sweet dreams!



Thumbs up seven up,

Christy Chai