Unicorn (Unicorn@Indenial.com)
Tue, 02 Mar 1999 00:03:13 -0500
There is wisdom in all of us....
LadyHawke
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Laddie McCrea"
By Mike Kleinman, Copyright 1999 Mike Kleinman
<Mike_Kleiman@compuserve.com>
Reprinted with permission.
This is a true story.
A while ago, when I was a young twenty five year old,
I trekked across the United States via Greyhound bus
on an uncharted photo journey. During this trip, I ended
up in Seattle where I met Laddie McCrea.
Laddie, you see, was a hobo.
He was about 60 - 70 years old and looked 100. Laddie
had shoulder length scraggly white hair entangled with
weeds from the previous nights bedding. His clothes
were a living journal of evenings in the shrubs and days
in the sun. Laddie smelled of alcohol and urine.
When I first met Laddie, he was standing on a busy
downtown Seattle sidewalk greeting every passerby
with a smile, a pleasant greeting and an extended palm.
Each day, society was rushing past Laddie -- either
unaware of his existence or avoiding him -- a smelly,
begging bum.
I found Laddie to be an excellent character for my photo
excursion, so I paid him to allow me to stand in the
background and film him. I spent three days, hidden in
the masses, photographing Laddie. Most of the time he
was unaware of my existence. Each day he stood in a
busy section of town greeting the world with a smile an
uplifting phrase and an extended palm -- just earning
enough change for the evening's night cap.
One special day, as I observed from a bench off in the
distance, a young girl, around six or seven, prim and
proper with a pretty dress and hair in a tail. She
approached Laddie from behind and tugged on his shirt.
Laddie turned to the girl who then reached up and
anded him something. At that, Laddie, in animated
fashion, showed his happiness and reached in his pocket
and gave her something, and the girl ran back to her
parents excitedly showing them what she had received.
I was so curious about the exchange that I was dying to
go immediately to Laddie and ask him what took place,
but in order to get candid photos, I knew I couldn't make
my presence known. Later that afternoon when I finished
my shoot, I spent some time with Laddie and brought up
the event.
Here's what Laddie said:
"The little girl came to me and gave me a quarter, so I
gave her two quarters in return because I wanted to
show her that when you are generous, you will receive
more than you give."
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