A Conversation on Court Street.


I captured this image on my commute home from work this evening. Court Street, which ends at City Hall (and can be seen upside down in the image). After parking my bike on the meridian and checking traffic I found a secure spot to set the orb (to keep it from rolling because of the slight incline) and then laid on my belly in the street. One guy who was waiting at a bus stop called to me and asked if I were trying to kill myself, I assured him I was not. Another asked if I were about to do push-ups, I assured him I could not. After capturing the image and I stood—probably red in the face—another guy asked to see the photo in camera so I walked to the side of the street and showed him. He smiled. While we were talking another guy came up and asked for money for something to eat. While I couldn’t offer him money, I told him, I could give him a gift card to a restaurant. Opening my wallet and conscious that I had a few loose singles which they guy was eyeing, I saw that there were two cards; one for McDonald's and another for Jim’s Steak Out (these are cards people have given me to give away). Which would you like, I asked him, and he snatched up the McDonald’s card before I could finish and said thank you. The other guy who I was talking to said that he hadn’t eaten since this morning (it was now about 6pm) and asked if he could have the other card so I handed it to him. We chatted for a few more minutes, all the while I could hear protesters chanting at the end of Court Street and in front of City Hall. Both the guys thanked me again and I told them I would offer their thanks to the card givers as I am just the messenger and they parted while I when back to my bike to pack up the camera, all of which I stupidly left unattended on the meridian in the middle of the street. And as I was readying myself to leave I glanced down the street. While everything seems upside-down right now it really is right-side up. We need this. On the way home I rode through the square at the heart of the protest and one guy caught my attention. He had a box and cooler offering free water and snacks for protesters. As I pedaled blocks away I could still hear them chanting.

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