Pete. I have photographed Pete several times over the last few years. He is a very smart and high energy man, seemingly always in constant motion and willing to engage and share his opinions, often unsolicited, on any given subject. Pete is also homeless. Recently, he actually was still enough for a sit down where I finally got to know more about him. Pete was born in Sudan in 1970 and arrived in the United States in 1994 as a refugee. He and his family landed in Metro Nashville, Tennessee. At first, according to Pete, things were fine, but then work became unsteady, his wife divorced him and left with his children, property and money. Suddenly, he was lonely and destitute. It is unclear when he arrived in Washington, D.C. but he felt he needed to escape the desperation, depression and sense of failure. If he could not achieve his idea of the American Dream in Nashville, why not try the Nation’s Capital? Yet, even in Washington, success has been elusive. Pete seems to have resigned himself to his situation and no longer pursues professional and financial goals. He lives on the street, refusing to go to city shelters. During our conversation, a lady passed by and asked Pete if he needed assistance. She said she worked for the city agency responsible for aid, safety and care for homeless citizens. Pete did not mince words. He told her how unsafe many shelters are and that he would rather take his chances on the street. He also railed against what his sees as corruption, inefficiency and mismanagement within the bureaucracy where funds rarely, in his experience, reach those for whom they are intended. Pete and I continued talking for a little bit longer. He ultimately confessed to me that he is hurting deeply inside and especially misses his children, who are now adults and who still live in Nashville. On occasion, he speaks with his daughter via telephone, but he has regret about the estrangement, yearns for more and is not optimistic about full reconciliation with her. After dozens of encounters with Pete, which have always been fun-I promise you he will make you laugh out loud-I am thankful that he invited me into his more serious, vulnerable heart, soul and life.
