26 may, 2010

hi there. i am writing to let you know that i decided to not photograph strangers anymore, at least not in this particular fashion. if your curiosity encourages it, stay in touch with me via this site as i will undoubtedly begin working on other projects and will advertise their whereabouts here.

this project has been an epic adventure for me and i am sure that i will learn many more lessons from it even though i have stopped the process as we have come to know it. the daily routine eventually became very mentally consuming and i often battled with the decision to continue. from a photographic standpoint, i became bored with the imagery. and from a relational standpoint, i was rarely satisfied with the amount of time i was able to spend with each day's new stranger. with these things in mind, i will begin the process of finding a new project.

i do apologize to those of you who will be saddened by not having a new stranger to meet here every day, but i'd like to encourage you to meet one of your very own.

thank you for your patronage. thank you for your encouragement. thank you for your support.

joshua langlais

25 may, 2010

andrew . 43 years old / denver . colorado

i went downtown to pick up my friend hillary from work. i arrived early so i decided to begin the search for the day's stranger while waiting. by the time she finished her day, i had not found anyone, so we walked around together, looking for someone to stand out. we hadn't walked for very long when hillary said something about a helicopter. i hadn't noticed them, but four men were standing in a garden in front of a big building, flying toy helicopters. we made our way closer and watched them as they lifted a miniature, twin-propeller (are they called propellers on a helicopter?), army-green helicopter into the air. one young man held the controls as the other three gave him their opinions on how to fly it. in the end, it flew up very high and drifted over to the neighboring building, where it landed on the roof - a roof they didn't know how to access.

the three younger men took off, eagerly looking for a means to retrieve their stray helicopter. the fourth man, a bit older than the others walked by hillary and me and said something as he passed. he had a big smile on his face and had kind eyes, so i decided to ask him to be today's stranger. he tried to get me to photograph all of the guys together, but the other three were in hot pursuit. in the end, i think andrew was glad to be a part of it.

he asked if we wanted to see "the graveyard". intrigued, hillary and i followed him up the back stairs to his office where there was an entire shelf serving as the burial grounds to a number of deceased helicopters. andrew explained that those were the ones that have done their duty and are now out of commission. they are currently being used for parts. the guys take a few breaks throughout the day to fly their helicopters, most of which they purchase from china. when we met andrew he was carrying his own, which was of a bit higher quality than most of the others.

andrew said he has had two jobs during his working career: first, he served in the military as an interrogator and now he works as a headhunter for the remy corporation. he said they direct most of their attention towards the IT world. i don't really understand how it all works, so i will let you look into that on your own. i do know that andrew seemed like a really happy sort of guy. and, from what i could tell, he seemed like a very great boss. he said he really enjoys his job, something that was very obvious from our short interaction with him and his staff.

andrew complimented me for doing this project. i don't know if he could sense my current frustration with it, but the kind words he offered me served as a great encouragement. he told us that he really likes humans and finds them very fascinating. he compared some of the aspects of interrogating to my daily observances of strangers and made me feel credible. it was quite nice. in the end, andrew suggested that we go to a restaurant called "tag" and he gave us a voucher for a free drink. we went directly there and ran into another former stranger on the way and had a lovely chat with her. then, inside the restaurant, we were treated to a wonderful experience of the food and beverage variety.

thanks so much, andrew. really.

24 may, 2010

jeff . 18 years old / denver . colorado

now that i am preparing to move (across the world), my schedule seems even busier than it did when i was working every day. i have a lot of time that i can call my own, but it is not exactly "free". dedicating time to looking for strangers is requiring an even more conscious than usual effort.

after a breakfast/goodbye session with another photographer, i hopped off my bicycle while riding home to ask a man who was sitting on his front step. he was friendly and smiled as i began telling him about the project, but when i asked him to be the day's stranger, he declined the offer. that was fairly early in the day and i didn't get around to looking for strangers again until much later.

in the south pearl neighborhood, where i have been spending much of my time lately, i went out for round two of searching for a no longer stranger. i went with my friend, hillary, who is a great stranger hunting companion and has listened to more of my frustrations and opinions and heartaches over this project than most everyone else. today proved to be another of the more trying days and with it came another session of "blah blah blah" from me.

we passed by a very cute couple who i chose not to ask on account of their being too cute. i get worried that people will think i am trying to create another fashion blog. i worry that people will judge me for only photographing "attractive" people. i worry about a lot of things, but this particular concern is one i felt like i could control today. the cute couple passed by and hillary and i spent a few minutes talking about how cute they were. then, not long after, i spotted an older gentleman who was out walking his dog. he was cute, too, but in an old man sort of way, so i justified asking him. he didn't want to be part of it. he wanted to know why i didn't want to photograph any of "those kids" as he motioned towards a table of attractive, young people. my answer wasn't good enough and he sent me on my way.

we walked the length of the south pearl business district several times and with each passing block, my mood worsened. i do not enjoy the search. i seem to spend the whole time looking for a stranger worrying about not finding one. unfortunately, i haven't figured out how to combat that. i eventually grew so weary of the mental battle that i took a seat at a table under the shade of a tree. i collected my thoughts and did some more bitching to hillary and then, slightly re-energized (or perhaps just concerned that i would run out of daylight), stood up to begin the search again.

as we neared the first corner, i spotted the cute, young couple who we previously passed up. i decided to go for it this time. i complimented them on just how cute they were and told them what i was up to and asked them to participate. they agreed. i asked jeff if he would be the day's official stranger and asked jackie if she would be in the second photo with him. they both agreed. it turns out that jackie had seen this project when it was featured on the news and she was also with kelsey (02 march, 2010) when the troop of girls stopped me on the street to ask me to participate in kelsey's own project. i asked jackie if we had met on that day and she assured me that we had not. so... we were still technically strangers.

jeff and jackie just graduated from high school and they both have plans to attend colorado university here in denver. jeff is toying with the idea of studying urban planning, but can't decide between that and pursuing a career as an english teacher. jackie is pretty set on teaching and will be studying english. it doesn't seem as if it was that long ago when i was in their situation, but it has been 10 years now. that thought makes me sad... the ten years don't seem nearly as substantial now that i look back on them as they did while they were taking place.

jeff and jackie had just come from 5 green boxes, the store that josiah (from the other day) works at. someone gave jackie a gift certificate and she found the little hearts they are both wearing. jeff told me that jackie asked him if he would wear the red one. he said he wouldn't. then she asked him if he would wear it if she wore one, too. that changed his mind. i thought it was quite fitting that today's stranger was already wearing a red heart...

the four of us had a lovely chat on the street and jeff and jackie afforded me more time than usual to take the photos. our interaction was so positive and sweet that i walked away feeling much better. more energized. glad that i kept searching. i feel that way after i meet the stranger. the key word being "after".

jeff and jackie, thank you so very much.

23 may, 2010

matt . 38 years old / estes park . colorado

my friend hillary and i went on a field trip today. we decided we were due for a trip out of the city and we were desperate for some adventure. we made a stop in lyons, and then continued up the road, finally resting in estes park, after spotting some elk and finding ourselves as close to the mountains as were dared venture for the day. i carried my camera gear with me at each stop we made, keeping a keen eye out for strangers, but hadn't found anyone until estes park. lately i haven't had much energy for the search and i haven't had much time to dedicate to the post production.

we walked around the town, but it was difficult to pick someone out of the masses. it was considerably colder near the mountains than it had been in the city, but that didn't seem to have any effect on the number of people eating ice cream. i was lost in the seas of big families with matching "colorado" sweatshirts and large waffle cones full of cold sugar.

we finally found a quiet spot on a pathway that runs along the st. vrain river. the sun was warm there and the number of people was significantly lower, making it a bit easier to choose a target. i spotted a guy pass by on roller blades and then noticed that he took a seat. we approached him and i began telling him about the project. without much persuasion, he agreed to being the day's stranger.

matt is originally from pittsburgh, but is currently living in colorado springs. he made his way out there as part of his second term in the army. he served in the military when he was younger, then 15 years later rejoined when he felt like he didn't have control over his life. he said he liked colorado and decided to stay here after he left the army. he left the springs earlier today to have his own adventure. he stopped a few times on the way and eventually, like us, settled in estes park. he said he had been roller blading for a few hours, exploring the town.

matt said that his latest stint in the service was good for him. he spent 15 months in iraq and learned a lot. he said that the army did a lot of good in the particular place he was in and in the time he was there. he is hoping to return to school in the fall and explained the government's new version of the g.i. bill, called chapter 33, which came about after the 911 attacks. matt made it sound as if it was a great opportunity to study and learn something he is interested in. he hopes to attended colorado state university and earn a degree in environmental science.

good luck to you, matt. thanks so much for your time today.

22 may, 2010

josiah . 22 years old / denver . colorado

on the first very hot day of the season, i stepped outside in shorts and a t-shirt and walked leisurely in the quaint south pearl neighborhood, taking in the sunshine and looking for strangers. after several blocks, i came across a store called “5 green boxes” and saw a young man standing on the front stoop. he looked extremely kind and i liked his hat - those were the two factors contributing to my asking him to be the day’s stranger.

i asked him if he was working. he said he was. i asked if he might be up for being today’s stranger anyway and he said he was as long as he could take care of customers when they needed a hand. deal. 5 green boxes turned out to be a bit busier than i anticipated, but i didn’t have any other pressing obligations, so i hung around for a while.

josiah is from denver, born and raised. he laughed when he said that, but he seemed to still be embracing the place he is has always been. i often wonder what that feels like. i have moved so much that "home" is an altogether foreign concept. he has been working for the owners of the shop for three years and he said they are good people. if the people they hire are any sign at all of their character, then josiah is proof of them being wonderful. he was so kind. so calm. he struck me as a refreshingly gentle person, seemingly sharing a contagious kind of peace with everyone he comes into contact with.

during short breaks in the waves of customers, i took several photographs of josiah. having my regular workflow interrupted was a nice change of pace and it helped me understand that i still have some growing room in the area of thinking on my feet. josiah was, not surprisingly, very patient with me, though.

josiah has been taking a break from school, but will be going back in the fall to finish his degree in art history. he said his dream job would be to design exhibitions - working with individual artists to create shows and providing viewers with an interesting way to see them. i’d like to think that one day i will need to call on josiah to give me some professional help.

thanks so much for your time today, josiah.

21 may, 2010

gregory . 24 years old / denver . colorado

so far, my having more free time hasn't really encouraged me to get this work done on time every day. i have been enjoying every second of the last few days, though. every second, which is an awfully nice thing to be able to say. in the midst of packing and downsizing and planning, i did make my way out into the world of strangers. i walked around for nearly an hour, came up empty handed, and had to pause the search to pick up a friend from work. then i decided to hunt for the day's new friend in a different neighborhood - taking advantage of new backgrounds and the adventure of not knowing every foot of every street.

i asked an older gentleman if he might be willing to be the day's stranger. he was very friendly and told me that if i was still in the area in about 30 minutes then he would be up for it. i wasn't up for waiting the half an hour, so i told him that i would "leave it up to the gods" and see if i found anyone in the meantime. i walked on and, just a few blocks later, saw a young man sitting on a chair on a front porch. he was filling out some paperwork and looked as if he might have a few minutes to spare.

i told him what i was up to and asked him to be the day's stranger. he said he was up for it. greg told me he was working for the u.s. census as an enumerator. i didn't realize until a few minutes later that he was actually working right then. we were standing on someone else's porch - someone who obviously hadn't completed their census form. there was a brief moment of concern when a car parked in front of the home, but it turned out to be ok as it was just a neighbor.

greg is from new hampshire. we discovered that we grew up in the same town. i moved in and out of the town of nashua for several years and we attended different school systems, but still, it was interesting to share that history. greg studied real estate in connecticut and graduated the year the market crashed. he said he would have more than likely been a lot better off had he graduated one year earlier. things do have a way of working out, though. or maybe it's just that we have a way of making the very best of lousy situations. either way, greg had a good attitude and a ready smile - a couple of tools that very often come in handy.

he made two close friends during a study abroad program in italy. during their time there, the three of them decided to move somewhere together and, out of all of the places to go, they chose denver. greg said he likes it here. we probably could have talked for a lot longer, but greg was in the middle of working and, well, we were on a stranger's porch.

thanks for taking the time to chat, greg.

20 may, 2010

kelli . 28 years old / denver . colorado

spring/summer seems to have finally arrived in denver. the sun for which this city is so famous has been out in full force and everything is green and blooming and people seem to be a bit happier because of it. or maybe it is just me that is happier. i suppose that is enough to change my perspective, though, and then it doesn't really matter if everyone else is happier or not. i walked around in the lovely weather with my friend's dog, searching for strangers and stopping to smell every single thing we passed in the process. after a long time of walking and searching and smelling and peeing, i decided that i would drop bayou (the dog) off at my apartment and then continue my search.

it wasn't too long after heading out on my own that i asked an older man if he would be the day's stranger. he told me wasn't interested in being on anybody's website. he was nice about it, though, and thanked me for asking him. a few blocks later, i spotted a woman sitting on the front steps of an apartment building. i passed by and then stopped short, turned around, and told her what i was up to. i asked if she minded that i come over to her (she was on the other side of a fence). she received me warmly and we started chatting.

kelli is originally from detroit. she went to college in central michigan and then started on an acting course that brought her all over the place. she eventually settled in denver, where she attended the national theatre conservatory. she just finished the three year program there and received her master's degree in fine art. when i met her, she had just returned home from a musical rehearsal. she said she was part of one of three five-minute performances that will soon be put on for little children.

kelli will be spending one final summer here in denver, teaching theatre to young kids, and then she plans on moving to new york city in the fall. she was very excited to be a part of an actor's union and was hopeful that she will be able to find decent paying work in the city. she had a beautiful smile and very bright, warm eyes. she spoke very confidently and exuded a positivity that one rarely comes across. i concluded from our short interaction that she wouldn't have too much trouble finding work. i hope i am right.

thank you so much for your time today, kelli.

19 may, 2010

kim . 22 years old / denver . colorado

this was my last week at the café. i had already given the management my two-week notice, but they decided to let me go with just two and a half days left. it wasn't a very peaceful ordeal. i walked away with my last check and went directly to the bank, where it was brought to my attention that the date on the check was incorrect and it contained only my first name. i went back to my former employer to ask if they wouldn't mind making the necessary corrections. then, with everything in order, i went back to the bank.

as i neared the front entrance, i was distracted by two young women. one of them was doing a celebratory dance in front of the cash machine and the other was encouraging her. i approached them to tell them about the project and asked the one who had been dancing if she would be the day's stranger. she was skeptical at best. she thought about it. she asked her friend what she thought about it. i continued explaining what it was about and kim eventually agreed to be today's stranger.

i explained to kim and her friend, lauren, how refreshing this project is, especially on days like today. it seemed to be a fortunate accident that the first check was incorrect. had it gone through the first time, i wouldn't have met kim and lauren. i wouldn't have learned that kim was so excited (hence the dance) because she received her income tax return, which she intends to spend on bills. i wouldn't have had something so immediately take over my feelings of frustration over my job (er... former job).

kim recently graduated from school where she studied acting. she is now looking for acting work and, in the meantime, just took a job as a server at a mexican restaurant. i didn't learn too much more about her. she smiled and laughed a lot and her and lauren seemed to be close friends. we chatted for a few minutes and then went our separate ways.

thanks for your willingness to be today's stranger, kim. and thanks for your patience, lauren.

18 may, 2010

chelle . 29 years old / denver . colorado

i thought i would look for today's stranger directly after work, but i had such a lousy day that i couldn't bring myself to do it. instead, i walked for a few blocks and then rode my bike to a camera shop, hoping that someone named "ray" would be at the repair window. not only was he there, but he was every bit as good as people had advertised. he fixed my camera in less than a minute and only charged me five dollars. that was a wonderful surprise.

sometimes i question whether or not i should write about what may seem like the mundane details of my daily experiences, but i am going to push those thoughts aside and just assume that you will give me the benefit of the doubt, understanding that they are integral to the social chemistry of my interaction with the day's stranger.

i made it home and attached my new (and free!) lens filter and then headed out into the late afternoon. just a few blocks from my apartment, a young woman stepped out of a liquor store as i was passing by. something about the way she stepped out caught my attention. without giving it much thought, i told her what i was doing and asked her to be the day's stranger. her expression as i was beginning my spiel looked an awful lot like skepticism, but as i continued, the walls came tumbling down and she agreed. i extended my hand and introduced myself and then took my bag off to begin the information exchange.

pretty quickly into our interaction, chelle (pronounced "shelly") asked if i might be up for photographing her with her dog. she said she didn't live far, so i agreed, thinking that to be a great idea. i gave her my card and asked her to sign the model release and then we started walking. sometime in the process, she told me it wasn't totally necessary to photograph her with her dog, so i decided to shoot the pictures in an alley. after i had the shots i wanted, i volunteered to continue walking with her so that we could keep talking. she was up for it.

chelle is originally from nebraska, but made her way to colorado several years ago. she got out of town for a while and moved to st. louis, tired of it, and then moved back to denver just a couple of weeks ago. she found a lovely apartment and recently found a bartending job. she has been paying for college herself - studying microbiology - and now has only 10 credit hours left. she said she likes cutting things up. i assumed that that wasn't a threat and kept walking and talking.

we decided that i would walk her home and take her up on the opportunity to meet her 130 pound labrador/husky named "kitty". kitty turned out to be a real charmer. on the walk to her place, chelle told me that when she was 16 years old, her older sister died from an obscure degenerative muscle disease and then, just one month later, her younger brother died of a severe asthma attack. chelle had been extensively caring for her sister and very much idolized her. after she died, chelle determined that she would spend her life doing her part to help prevent similar tragedies for others. she is hoping to work in a research lab, cutting things up, trying to make more sense of how living organisms work.

chelle invited me to have a drink. i declined on account of having too much work to do tonight. she offered me a smoke, which i again declined for the same reason. it didn't feel great to pass up the opportunity to spend more time with the day's stranger, but other responsibilities were calling my name. it is times like this that make me wonder how people can have a 5-year plan. i don't even want to make plans for tomorrow night. there is a lot to be said for living in the moment.

thank you so much, chelle. i am glad you are already getting (re)settled here in denver. i hope we will meet again.

17 may, 2010

brian . 49 years old / denver . colorado

anticipating some rain, i went out walking down the street not far from my apartment, i passed by a beautiful home with a raised yard. there was a man and who i assumed to be his son doing some yard work. the boy was sweeping some grass clippings from the stone wall onto the sidewalk. as i passed, he made a slight sweeping motion, not fully dedicated to covering me in cut grass, but clearly finding it difficult to resist the temptation entirely. i gave him a smile and asked him if was trying to get me all dirty. he shot me back a very mischievous, but good-natured grin. a few steps later, i exchanged some friendly greeting to the man. then, a few more steps later, i realized that i was passing up a wonderful stranger opportunity. i turned around and began making my way up the front steps while excusing myself and beginning my pitch.

brian, the father, agreed to be today's new friend and introduced me to brian, the son, and we carried on a brief, but very pleasant interaction in their beautiful front yard. brian is a wood manufacturer. he has a company called "imperial wood" and deals with hardwood. he prefers to manufacture cabinets, but he said that these days (as in the days of the lousy economy), he is making all sorts of different things. his son, a 9-year in the third grade, does not play baseball like his older brother and does not have a girlfriend. however, he does do yard work and appeared to be in the process of making his father very proud.

brian told me that his family is from phoenix, arizona, and his wife is from enid, oklahoma. i shared a stranger interaction from enid with brian and we had a few laughs about that. i don't know how brian and his wife met, but i would bet that they have a lovely story. brian was a very friendly man. and he seemed to be very kind. he was wearing some beat-up chuck taylor sneakers and an old school lacoste polo shirt - sure signs of a good man.

thanks so much, brian. and brian!

a few minutes after leaving the brians, an early evening thunderstorm rolled in. the timing couldn't have been better.

16 may, 2010

tom . 23 years old / denver . colorado

enjoying the summery weather with my friend, hillary, we spent the day adventuring. in the process, we ended up in a part of town that i rarely frequent. it was getting late enough in the day so that i thought it best to dedicate some time to actively finding the day's stranger. i had carried my camera with me for most of the day, prepared for whatever special interaction i might stumble upon, but we mostly just visited shops and cafés and it is very rarely the case that i can photograph someone while they are at work.

not too long into the designated "find a stranger" time, i spotted a young man as he was about to walk through a gate into a parking lot. i approached him with my spiel and asked him to be the day's stranger. he looked a little skeptical until i finished the pitch and then he warmed up to the idea. he agreed and we dove into what turned out to be a longer than normal and super light and easy conversation.

tom had just finished his shift at a restaurant called "colt and gray". he was drinking what looked to be an iced coffee and said he had had a rough day at work because he was out quite late celebrating the release of the latest of issue of 303 magazine, which he happened to be on the cover of. i was surprised to hear him say that and wracked my brain to try to place his face, fearing that, as a local celebrity, he might not qualify to be a stranger. he looked like a stranger to me, so i figured it was ok to proceed. i later looked up this issue of 303 online and realized that i wouldn't have recognized him anyway. so this is definitely safe.

i guess at this point it goes without saying, but i will anyway - tom is a model. he has traveled all over the globe working as such. he is from colorado and ended up in golden in late high school because his father chose to work there. he lives in golden now and shares an 8-bedroom ranch on 15 acres of land with 4 roommates. the house members recently purchased a 7-week old piglet that they named "gorbachev" because of the spot on his head that resembles that of the former president of the soviet union. the little guy is going by "gorby", though, which is a little easier on the ears. tom told me some of the adventures they have already had with gorby and, i have to admit, it sounds like having a little piglet is a lot of fun.

tom also plays music and is currently saving his money to purchase a pedal steel. he likes the way they sound and is pretty proud that not many young people play them. we had a long talk about the pig, modeling, working out (or, as it were, not working out) living in asia, the ranch in golden, the pretty girls, music, the release party, and other like matters. it was great. tom was great.

thanks for the chat today, tom.

15 may, 2010

rose . 21 years old / denver . colorado

i saw a young woman come out of the tattered cover bookstore as i was on my way in. i thought about asking her to be the day's stranger, but a street canvasser immediately accosted her. i didn't give it much thought and went inside to see if slice magazine had made its way onto the shelves yet. i check the bookstore daily because i am supposed to be featured in this issue of slice. perhaps that is narcissistic, but i am just a little excited to see something about this project in print...

it wasn't there, so i decided to go back outside to look for a stranger. as soon as i stepped outside, i noticed that the same woman was no longer accosted and she was sitting on a bench by herself, smoking a homemade cigarette. i immediately approached her. her personality was so obviously welcoming that i didn't hesitate to sit down beside her on the bench. i began explaining the project and she agreed to be the day's stranger before i even asked her. so lovely.

rose is from minnesota, but she is visiting denver to participate in her older sister's graduation festivities. her sister just finished the architecture program at denver university and the whole family made their way out here to celebrate. rose just returned from a semester abroad in florence, italy, and said she was currently readjusting to the fast pace of american life. she is studying art and is currently most interested in working with a medium called "conte". i didn't know what conte was so rose explained it as being similar to charcoal, but less messy.

we had a short chat together, talking about people's lack of time. rose said that people didn't actually have anything to do. she said something to the effect of people just being in a hurry to go get an ice cream. i was happy to hear her voluntarily empathizing with me. after a couple of minutes, her whole family came outside and we all chatted for a few moments. rose and i stepped around the corner to find a better background and not deal with the awkwardness of taking photos in front of the whole gang. she was a natural in front of the camera.

after a few shots, we made our way back to the group, chatted for a few more minutes and then dispersed. thanks so much for a light and easy process today, rose. good luck finding a job and a place to live back at home.

14 may, 2010

kei . 23 years old / denver . colorado

from inside the café, i watched as the sun came out and the sky turned blue for the first time in many days. i figured it would quickly pass, but as the hours went by, the sun stayed out. then, with half an hour left of work, just when i started getting excited about the chance to look for strangers in the sunshine, the sky turned black. the wizard of oz kind of stormy. and, to make matters even worse, it started pouring (like a monsoon) about ten minutes before my shift was supposed to end.

i put on all of the rain gear i had with me (a waterproof jacket) and headed out into the dreariness thinking it was going to be a long, arduous process. but maybe two blocks later, i saw a young asian guy waiting to cross the street. i approached him and told him what i was up to. he interrupted me to say in thickly accented broken english that he was sorry but he was "a stranger".

perfect! i was so happy to hear him say that. i told him it was more than ok that he was "a stranger" and continued on with my spiel. he was willing to be today's new friend, so i asked if we could continue up the street in the direction he was already going until we found some shelter. another block later, we found some respite from the downpour.

kei is from japan. he is a pharmacy student in graduate school, but took half a year off to work to save money for his trip to the united states. now he is traveling around for seven weeks. he is alone and doesn't know anyone here, but he is excited because he is watching baseball games in a number of cities. he started his pilgrimage in houston, then went to phoenix, made his way to denver, and will be going to atlanta, saint louis, philadelphia, boston, new york city, and some other places that i can't remember. kei showed me his calendar and it was packed full of baseball adventure.

earlier today, a famous baseball player got his hair cut in the salon where my café is. i told kei about it and he thought that was very cool. he said of that particular player, "he is so fresh". kei is a baseball fanatic and even has an email address proving it. he had a very lovely personality and seemed to be appreciative to be a part of this project. i hope he has better weather at the rest of his baseball games than he had here in what is supposed to be the sunniest city in the country.

thanks so much for your time, kei. you were a wonderful stranger!

13 may, 2010

justine . 24 years old / denver . colorado

it was grey again today, but not rainy, so i determined to do my best to take it easy, to look for strangers while casually walking around, to limit the obsessive thoughts and the worries about not finding someone, to remind myself that, it being 4.00 in the evening, there were still three hours of available light. it wasn't too long after deciding all of the above that i saw a young woman carrying a bunch of balloons. it is not every day that i see someone carrying balloons and i doubted that this woman was carrying them just to attract some attention. i figured i would ask her to be today's no longer stranger so that i could satisfy my curiosity.

justine was up for it. she asked if i asked her because of the balloons. i admitted that that was the case. she was fine with that. justine works for the student life department of the university of colorado and the balloons were for a party in honor of the graduating class. justine is currently studying at metro state college, but she has been working for the university of colorado since she was in high school. she said the only conflict of interest came from her having too many extra-curricular activities and not having adequate time to be a student. she is a senator for metro and extremely involved in many other activities at both schools.

justine comes from a very large family and is a third generation local native. she is interested in chicano studies and politics and currently has plans to move to washington d.c. to work as an administrative assistant for the house of representatives. she said she aims to one day be a senator. it didn't take long for me to understand that her college experience made mine look like a recess at a very mediocre kindergarten. i skipped class to read books and play soccer. justine is working towards becoming a senator.

we walked a few blocks towards the party and then split up at 16th street. it was great to be able to spend more than the usual couple of minutes with the day's stranger. thanks so much for your time today, justine.

12 may, 2010

jack . 53 years old / denver . colorado

the attention surge that came along with this project being featured on the news is definitely over. few people ask about the project. few people ask to hear about the day's stranger. and with the aid of internet page counting devices, i can assure you that few people visit the site each day. it is back to the grind. the lonely daily grind. and my energy is at a new low. i gave my two-week notice at the café because i am tired of being totally not stimulated at work. i have also decided to move back to denmark. indefinitely. i hope that taking this project to a new country will light the fire again. this project, or my enthusiasm for it, pendulums. sometimes it seems like the momentum dies and i get stuck somewhere in the middle. on those days, i just go out and look for the day's stranger, avoiding any distractions. today it even seemed like a bad idea to eat food and use the bathroom before finding a new friend.

one woman had to be somewhere at 4. it was 3.57. one man said he had a bus to catch but he would be willing to participate if i happened to catch him on another day, a day when he was early. another man was about to give a presentation. another woman "normally would do it", but she was running late. i walked and walked and walked. it was grey again today. and cold. and, to match it, i felt grey and cold. the "hunt" is often very nerve-racking because there is so much doubt involved. and when the weather is bad, i wonder if it will suddenly downpour and the streets will clear of all pedestrians and i will consequently be left alone to walk home in the dark... strangerless. you might be reading this and thinking to yourself that i am completely out of my mind. maybe you are right.

one would think that the last 611 days of successfully finding a willing stranger would be proof enough that i would again find one today, but i forget about that while searching. as i am sure you already know, today's stranger was jack. i saw him from across the street. he crossed over in front of me and, as he neared, i told him what i was up to. he gave me a warm smile and a warm response and said that my request was a difficult one to ignore. jack said it seemed harmless. when i told him that a few other people had already turned me down, he seemed surprised.

we didn't talk long. jack asked me more questions than i asked him, but he only allowed for my answers to be brief. maybe he could sense that i was long-winded. i did discover that jack is a medical equipment salesman. he sells equipment that is related to the heart. he said that is what he has done for the majority of his career. i asked if he was from denver and he said that he was originally from phoenix, arizona.

i am usually not in the know regarding the news, but i just so happened to have heard that arizona recently became very unpopular because of their recent passing of an embarrassingly incompetent immigration law. jack and i carried on a few moments of conversation about that and then we parted ways.

jack seemed like a jolly guy. would i have liked more time with him? yes, certainly. but... i guess i can't exactly define why. and i am becoming increasingly concerned with my failure to be able to articulate why this daily interaction with a stranger is so important to me.

thank you for your time, jack.

11 may, 2010

laura . 24 years old / denver . colorado

the kind of weather i am not exactly fond is currently resting over denver. there is very little that gets me down quicker than grey skies, cold, and rain - all of which are presently here. my move to denver was intentional - it boasts 300+ days of sunshine each year. this was not one of those days.

i walked around after my long day at the café in search of strangers. the first woman i asked said yes, but she put me on a strict time limit. i let her go. many blocks later, a man who appeared to be my age laughed and said he was on his way to meet a friend who was "probably in a hurry". i walked on. i try to not be judgmental of the strangers who turn me down. i try to consider the rejections as part of the process. that is difficult and i usually fail.

i saw a woman step out of a restaurant onto the sidewalk in front of me. i noticed her hair. i wanted to ask her to be the day's stranger but didn't act quickly enough. we passed each other and i heard a guy behind me tell her that he liked her "do" - as in hairdo. she thanked him and then offered him and his friend a flier for a rally. this piqued my curiosity, so i turned around to ask her to be the day's stranger. she had already made it pretty far down the street, but i decided to pursue her anyway.

i caught her at an intersection where she was waiting for passing traffic. i told her what i was doing and she was immediately receptive. just as she agreed to be the day's stranger, the grey sky opened up to allow some dreary drops of rain. i wasn't thrilled, but i pulled my act together and plowed through the inconvenience.

laura is originally from illinois. she moved from a town called "normal". she studied sociology in illinois and then moved out to fort collins to be close to the mountains. she worked with at-risk youth in a boys' home for a while, but decided to leave that job to pursue a job where she could focus her energy more on the environment. she now works for the sierra club. when we met, she was passing out fliers to promote a rally that would raise awareness about the oil spill in the gulf. after taking her photos, i volunteered to walk around with her as she passed more of them around. she took me up on it.

we chatted as we walked and i was able to learn more about her through a casual conversation. my time with the day's stranger doesn't usually afford that. as we walked and the rain increased, i eventually helped her find her car. after we found it, laura asked if i wanted to drink a beer with her. i did. just as she asked the question, we passed by a place that one of the regulars at the café has told me about. i had never been so laura and i decided to try it out.

we went inside and proceeded to talk for another 45 minutes. one of my favorite things about my longer interactions with strangers is that they are not interviews. they are just chats. laura and i traded stories and carried on a "normal" conversation. looking back on it now, though, i wonder if that is interesting to you, the reader. and i wonder if the "success" of this project is contingent on you finding it interesting.

10 may, 2010

amanie . 19 years old / denver . colorado

i walked my bike for several blocks on 16th street, but didn't pass by anybody that i couldn't resist. i was trying to decide what to do next - whether i should lock my bike and continue looking in downtown denver or pedal home and then search my own neighborhood. but just when i came to the very end of 16th, i saw a young woman walking in my direction.

she fell into the ever-growing category of people i had to approach for some unknown reason. i guess it was the combination of her hair and freckles... maybe even the san pellegrino had something to do with it. i excused myself and began telling her what i was up to. i think i startled her at first. she seemed a little surprised by my intrusion, but not put off, so i kept talking. she asked how long it would take and i told her that it would take about 5 minutes. she said that was fine, so i leaned my bike against a nearby tree and locked the rear wheel.

i gave amanie my card and then asked her to sign the model release. i use whichever book i am currently reading as a "clip-board" for the model release. these days i am reading "we the living", a novel by my favorite author, ayn rand. amanie took a peek at it and then laughed a little, but not in a condescending way. i asked if she had read it and she said she hadn't, but that she is currently in an objectivist (a term coined by any rand) philosophy club. i suppose it is usually a blend of a few different circumstances and occurrences that convince people that i am a trustworthy person. maybe ayn rand played a part in that today.

amanie's parents met in michigan while studying. they moved to jordan, where amanie's father is from, and began raising their family there. amanie spent the first 13 years of her life in jordan, but her and her family packed up and left during the iraq war. amanie's mother worked for the UN and, even though jordan is a neutral country, she thought it best to get out of dodge. amanie is fluent in arabic and, obviously, english. she spent many years of her life learning french, too. she said that it took her some time to adjust to living in the united states, but she seems to be doing alright now.

amanie said she has always been an atheist, but she wasn't allowed to express those views until she moved out of jordan. her father, a physicist, is a fairly non-traditional muslim and amanie gave me the impression that he has given her the freedom to live and believe as she chooses. her and her family ended up in colorado because her mother is studying for her PhD at the university of colorado here in denver. amanie is also studying there - philosophy. i asked her what she wanted to do and she said she didn't know. she is just studying what she is interested in and will figure out what she wants to do with it later. i wish i had done that...

we stood in the median of three intersecting busy streets the entire time we talked. it was loud as the buses and other vehicles went by, but breaks in the traffic allowed for short moments of slightly less noise. we chatted about the project and then about coffee. amanie said she had heard of the café i manage through a blog she came across. we started talking about the better cafés in town and we shared some tips about where to get a delicious macchiato.

again... i would have liked to have learned more about the day's stranger. amanie was on her way to have dinner with her visiting uncle. she had some text books with her, most likely planning to do some studying while commuting. she is in the middle of her first year finals, but didn't seem to be too worried. she said that so far her courses are not challenging her as much as she would like.

thanks for your time today, amanie. it was a pleasure meeting you.

09 may, 2010

sabine . 48 years old / denver . colorado

i had a great day. a string of wonderful things happened. i spent the morning with great company. then, just after noon, i went to a book store and purchased some summertime reading material. after that, i saw some familiar faces and had a good chat with another friend who i don't often see. i went home and did some work and then set out to search for today's stranger and run some errands. at the camera shop, another friend gave me a very high quality lens filter to replace the one that broke in my little accident from a few days ago.

i walked to another bookstore, picked up a present for a friend, then bought a frozen yoghurt (coconut flavored with fresh blueberries) and continued walking and searching for strangers. i had it mind to find a mom to photograph - it being mother's day and all. i thought about last year's stranger search and how i was so dissatisfied with the more environmental photo that i later took a picture of a bouquet of flowers to replace it. i was determined to do a better job this year.

as i was walking down larimer street, i saw a woman sitting on a bench talking with a young man. i thought i should ask her to be the day's stranger, but before i could, she commented on how tasty my yoghurt looked. i assured her that it was every bit as good as it looked and then told her about the project. she agreed to participate, but she warned that she needed to keep an eye on her shop - a woman's boutique called "eve".

sabine is originally from germany (although you can't tell by her accent). she moved to colorado to be with her first husband who was in the military and stationed in colorado springs. sabine said they met in germany at a public swimming pool. so romantic, right? she has a 26-year old son from that marriage and also claims her long-time boyfriend's 14-year old as her stepdaughter. sabine spent the morning with her family and then worked for a few hours. she closed up her shop a few minutes after i met her and then i assume she went back to her family.

sabine had already attended some university in germany, but the schools here would not accept her credits. she was apprehensive to begin studying all over again and wasn't confident she could do it in english, so she chose to work. she said she worked as a photographer for a while and then told me some stories about her father's photography. she inherited his old cameras and is thinking about printing some of his images to hang in her home.

she eventually worked in retail and then started her own business. sabine has been owning and operating "eve" for 10 years. it is a lovely shop and i recommend that all of denver's residents and visitors take a peek. we talked about europe and my up and coming trip to denmark and her visits to germany and her love for the rainy weather there because of the constant sunshine here in denver. she was very sweet.

i sat outside her shop to take notes about our interaction and then i met a swedish couple as they were climbing into their car. we had a lovely chat and then i proceeded to walk home. on the way, i noticed a guy sitting outside a café. he was reading a book i have read and enjoyed, so i made a comment to him. that comment turned into another wonderful conversation. from start to finish, it was really a very good day. the kind of day that i needed. and the kind of day that fuels my fire and keeps me pursuing strangers.

thanks to everybody involved, but especially sabine.

08 may, 2010

randy . 62 years old / denver . colorado

just when i felt like taking a break from the search for strangers, i spotted a gentleman picking sticks and garbage out of his front garden. i wasn't entirely sure that i was going to ask him to be the day's stranger until the words came out of my mouth. he hesitated for a moment and then agreed. i would like to know what went though his head during that brief pause...

randy is originally from madison, wisconsin. he studied landscape architecture there and then moved to denver in 1968. he now owns his own company called "lifescape associates" and seemed to quite satisfied with his career. if his own home and garden are any evidence of the kind of work he and his company are capable of, then i can vouch for their proficiency.

for the first couple of minutes of our interaction he sat down on a bench in his beautiful garden in front of his beautiful home and we talked. he was wearing a shirt that read "ducati" across the front of it. he was also wearing riding boots. hoping he had a special relationship with motorcycling and that i might get some good information out of him through that avenue, i asked if he rode. he does. he said he rides a ducati monster and was getting ready to go for a ride to prepare for "track day" on monday. i asked if he raced and he explained that he didn't, but going to the track was a good way to feel like he does.

i told randy about dropping my camera the other day and he quickly related it to his own experience of washing his motorcycle one day and then watching it fall off its stand. i have a very nice camera, but something tells me that a ducati monster is worth a bit more money. regardless, it was nice to hear that he could empathize with me.

thanks so much for your time today, randy. i do hope you won't get too carried away at the track on monday.

07 may, 2010

katelynn . 22 years old / denver . colorado

walking down 16th street on a short break from work, i spotted a woman a few blocks ahead of me. she was the only person walking in the bus lane, probably because she was keeping a faster pace than most of the other pedestrians. i saw her hair bouncing up and down and every few steps i noticed her pulling her skirt down a little bit - most likely her fast pace was causing it to wiggle up.

i quickened my pace to catch up with her, but she was moving fast. at one intersection i thought i lost her because she made it through just as a group of cars were coming. after they passed i followed anyway and just when i thought she was gone, i noticed she had stopped to talk to someone on the street. i should have thanked that guy for holding her up, but i didn't think of it until now.

i called out to her from just a couple of feet away and she stopped immediately. not only did she stop, but she also took a step toward me, something my daily interaction with strangers has proven to be a rarity. i told her i spotted her hair bouncing up and down and noticed she was blazing her own trail in the bus lane. i explained the project and she responded by asking if i wanted to take a photograph of her hair. i explained that i was more interested in her face...

she was in a hurry, on her way to work, she said. i walked with her for a little while, talking about the project and exchanging some information. when we came to a shady spot we stopped and i quickly took some photos. i wanted to talk more and she was walking in my direction, so i volunteered to walk with her.

katelynn was born in california, but moved to colorado 8 years ago with her mother. she considers this her home now and is currently working as a hostess at a restaurant downtown and studying at metro state college. she said she wants to write and will most likely pursue something like photojournalism.

during our conversation it came out that katelynn's mother died of breast cancer. my own mother had breast cancer in the early 90s, but she, fortunately, survived. because of how the disease affected my own life, i have some ideas in mind for a photo project centered around its survivors. katelynn and i talked about that for a minute. she said that her parents divorced when she was 11. mine did, too. and she hasn't had any contact with her father. i don't have much contact with mine, either. sad points of commonality, but points nonetheless.

our conversation was very fast, but it was intimate. we walked quickly and talked even more so. our interaction ended when we arrived in front of a tanning salon. i guess she was going to get some quick "sun" in before her work shift. i sat down in the real sun across the street to take some notes and soak in the information she gave me. she had a contagious energy and a lovely smile. it seemed like she immediately understood that i wasn't a bad guy and then all of the usual walls were gone.

thanks, katelynn.

06 may, 2010

erika . 36 years old / denver . colorado

on today's two-hour break from the café, i had to ride home to meet the comcast internet guy, ride to the camera store to pick up business cards, and then find a stranger. i figured i had enough time for one, maybe two, but definitely not all three. i figured i should at least try to squeeze it all in though.

the internet guy was actually on time. that was refreshing. i wanted to ask him to be the day's stranger, but didn't know if that was cheating. he was from south korea and, after explaining to him that i lived there for a short time, he wanted to make sure that he gave me a good impression of his people. he did a great job.

i rushed to the camera shop to pick up my pictures. that didn't take long because my dear friend had them lying on a counter for me. then, i decided to walk my bike towards the other end of downtown, closer to the café. en route, i asked a young asian woman to be the day's stranger, but she was late for class. knowing i didn't have the time, but finding it impossible to resist the urge, i went into a bookstore to look for a magazine. it wasn't there. when i stepped back outside, i saw a woman who was obviously looking for something. i offered her help and fortunately knew where to send her. i contemplated asking her to be the day's stranger but didn't want her to feel like she owed it to me after giving her directions.

about three seconds later, i spotted two women coming my way. they were both dressed in vintage fashions and both had the cutest sets of luggage. i approached them to tell them what i was up to. they kept walking, but were receptive to my pitch, so i walked with them long enough for one of them to explain that she was willing to be the day's stranger, but she needed a few minutes while they "got the shot". i eventually figured out that someone was filming (video-ing?) them walking into denver's union station. i waited around for a couple of minutes and watched as the two woman communicated with the videographer from afar. the rain picked up a little bit, so they had a couple of minutes to spare.

erika and stephanie were in the middle of making a dance video called (if i remember correctly) 'dance for the camera'. erika teaches dance at the university of colorado in boulder and stephanie is a graduate student. the two women were in a hurry - because they were trying to make a short video and because their camera wielding accomplice was waiting across the street and had no idea what was going on. because they were in a hurry, i hurried. i did things in a way i wouldn't normally do them. i usually write down all of the information on my model release so that i can be sure to read it later, but today i let erika write her own email address. then, in my attempt to put the release and my pen back into my bag, i momentarily set my camera down on a bench. i grabbed it as i normally would, but the strap caught on part of the bench and pulled it out of my hand. the camera hit the ground. it hit the ground hard.

so... that was very upsetting. i have never dropped one of my professional cameras. that isn't something professional photographers are supposed to do. i took a lot of pride in the fact that i hadn't. after some gasps and moans from the ladies and a quick second of staring at the ground in disbelief, i picked up the camera to see that my uv filter was shattered. i couldn't get it off the lens, so i shot the pictures as it was. i felt sick. and suddenly even more exhausted than i already was.

we shook hands. i thanked the women for their time. then i sat on a bench to further inspect the damage. a couple of minutes later, erika poked her head out of the rear window of a leaving car to ask if the camera was ok. that was very nice of her. it appears that everything (well, not the filter and certainly not my pride) is ok, but i can't get it off the lens.

erika and stephanie both seemed to be very lovely ladies. i am glad i ran into them today.

05 may, 2010

dave . 24 years old / denver . colorado

i made my way to a camera shop on my break. i visit the same shop over and over because a dear friend works there. the photographs that i use for business cards are almost gone, so i needed to print some more. my friend wasn’t there, so i walked around for a few blocks, simultaneously searching for today’s stranger and trying to figure out where my friend was.

i spotted a guy that i wanted to approach. he had long hair and very bright, alluring eyes. he was talking on his telephone, so i didn’t immediately pursue him. instead, i crossed the street, and, walking in the same direction, kept an eye on him. shortly thereafter, i saw that he stopped walking and was no longer on the phone. i decided to go for it.

i approached him and told him what i was up to and asked him to be the day’s stranger. he agreed. soon into our conversation, dave told me that he worked for greenpeace. i told him that i thought that was pretty funny because i have mentioned them a few times on my website. i didn’t get into all the details with dave on the street, but now i will take this opportunity to say that i often have a bit of a struggle with the greenpeace crew. i think it is because i often walk by so many of them on my search for strangers. i hear a very similar call to action from each of them and i sometimes don’t stop to talk to them because i know that in the end they want me to commit to giving them money. i don’t have money. i have a few minutes to listen. and i have a website on which to write about the experiences. but i don’t have money.

i also feel like i am competing with them in some way. i am not promoting saving the earth or not killing whales or boycotting companies that burn down rain forests so they can plant palm trees for the oil, but i am asking people for their time. and the streets i happen to find people on are the same streets where greenpeace finds people and the same streets where the homeless find people and the vagrants find people and the destitute find people. so, with all of us out there, asking people for money, or cigarettes, or a donation, or a few minutes of time and some photos, i think the people that we are all trying to reach get pretty irritated.

with that said, i happen to find myself in the middle of a very interesting and educational conversation every time i speak with a greenpeace worker. my conversation with dave is just another example of how intriguing they are. i have often thought of asking one of them to be the day’s stranger, but i know they have work to do and i never really know if they can participate in something like this while on the clock. today, though, i didn’t know that dave was a greenpeace worker and he even went the extra mile to rid himself of his work related attire for the photos.

dave is from upstate new york. he said that a couple of months ago he bought a one-way ticket to denver and rode the train here with one hundred dollars in his pocket. one day, while walking 16th street, he ran into some greenpeace folks and they suggested he get a job with them. and that pretty much brings us to now.

dave said he studied tv and photography and a few other subjects and received his degree, but decided that the tv world wasn’t the one for him. he asked some questions about my camera and said he was in the market for one himself, so i assume that he still has an interest in photography. he gave me a list of about 10 other jobs he has had over the last few years and i got the impression that he is taking things one day at a time and making good choices along the way, all the while searching.

again, i would have liked to have chatted more. i almost always want to spend more time with the no longer stranger. and it usually happens that something prevents it. maybe it is the thought that one day i will be able to dedicate as much time to this as i desire that is keeping me going. it certainly doesn’t hurt that there are people like dave out there. thanks for your time, dave, and thanks for your example.

04 may, 2010

thom . 65 years old / denver . colorado

we hired someone else at the café and this week is training week. considering i am the only other employee, the training responsibilities fall on me. i work my regular 8 hour shift, then take two hours to find a stranger and get some fresh air, and then go back into work for another few hours. i am tired. this isn’t supposed to be my platform to moan, but i guess these are just the realities of a project like this. life, the life where money and work and bills and sleep are involved, gets in the way. it’s annoying. this project is certainly not contingent on whether or not i am in the mood. it seems i’ve arrived at the place where it has to be done, so i do it. and every time i feel like this, i meet someone special.

the first person i asked, a young woman, said she was late for work. several blocks later, a man shyly declined my offer. he did ask what the website address was, though. then, more blocks later, i spotted a man sitting in the shade by himself. he was at a table, eating some food. he was very friendly, but declined my offer on account of his skipping work to enjoy the summery weather and not wanting to be found out. he also asked what the website was.

after some more wandering around, i spotted an older man walking in my direction. he was strolling, seemingly not in a hurry. i approached him as he was about to light a cigarette and i gave him the spiel. he agreed to being the day’s stranger, but said he was waiting for his bus. we decided to give it a try, but it is always a little bit stressful to think that the bus could come at any minute.

i asked what thom did for work and he said he delivered flowers “out of desperation”. he drove taxi cabs for a little while, too, but before the odd jobs, he worked in radio. thom said he just fell into radio and he let it lead him astray from what he really wanted to do. thom aspired to be an actor. he said he liked james dean and marlon brando... he thought they were pretty cool... and he wanted to act like them. instead, thom spent many years in the radio world. he said he worked for a hippie station here in colorado - the most popular station of the time. he said he has regular skype meetings with some of the old gang and they all trade stories. one of those co-workers went on to be an anchor for cnn.

i asked thom about family and he said he is married to a woman named gayle. he said they shacked up for about 20 years and have been married for another 10 or so. he said that doing it that way seems to have worked for them. i asked if he had any children and thom told me all about how not that long ago he found out that he had a son. thom had a one night stand back in his young dj-ing days and apparently he did his part in conceiving a child. the woman never told thom and, in fact, she lied to her son and told him that someone else was his father. at 36 years old, the son finally learned the truth and found thom.

thom said that his son doesn’t care too much for him. he said that with what i understood to be sadness. actually, most of what thom said seemed a little bit sad. thom didn’t strike me as a terribly sad person, but his words sounded weighted and fatigued. the look in his eyes seems to suggest that he isn’t quite ready to be 65. at the same time, thom had a wonderful sense of humor. the kind of humor that allows one to say something very funny while maintaining a straight face. my favorite. i told thom he had kind eyes and his immediate response was, “what kind?”. i laughed and i think thom did, too, but only on the inside.

thom said a couple of things about his son that i found particularly interesting. having no contact with each other or even any idea that the other existed, thom’s son chose to work in radio. he also happens to drive a 70s bmw 2002, a model that thom has owned several of. thom mentioned how “cosmic” that was.... and i didn’t argue.

i wanted to continue talking to thom. actually, i wanted to hop on the bus with him and meet his wife. i wanted to learn more about him. and his son. and the grandkids he hasn’t met. but... i couldn’t. i had to report back to work. i had to continue on with the parts of my life that are seemingly just leeching my energy.

thank you, thom.

03 may, 2010

jay . 36 years old / denver . colorado

some days i feel completely uninspired. this was one of them. i walked around for a while, dragging my feet, feeling exhausted, trying to come up with reasons to stop doing this. no matter how hard i try, i just can't do it. i keep going and i keep finding more and more reasons to continue. but, that doesn't do anything for my exhaustion.

while wandering around, i noticed a man sitting by himself on a big set of stairs. he was leaning back and didn't appear to be in a big hurry. his bright yellowish-green shirt stood out against the gray, cold stairs. i approached him with my usual spiel and as i talked, he just stared. he didn't nod his head. he didn't blink. he didn't raise an eyebrow. i had no idea what kind of response i was going to get. he turned out to be just listening and then, when i was finished with the promotion, he agreed to being today's stranger.

jay was early for his job, so he was just waiting. he said he is working as part of a demolition crew and they were going to be starting in about half an hour. jay said he usually does warehouse work, but this was just a temporary job. he was waiting for the rest of the crew to show up. jay was born in texas, but spent most of his life in colorado. he said he has a lot of family here. in jest, i asked him if that was a good thing. he took the joke and said he wasn't sure. i like it when people can kid with each other.

jay said he is soon going to be a dad for the second time. many years ago, when he was 20, he had a daughter. he is now with another woman and she is due in november. jay kept the same expression (the one in the photos) on his face the entire time we talked. i don't know what the look is. the more i try to figure it out, the more i want to say that it is a broken look. i am not here to judge... i just think it would be pretty interesting to be inside jay's head for a few minutes.

when i started taking the pictures, a couple of guys walked by and one of them sat down beside jay. jay didn't act as if he knew the guy, so i told him i was just taking some pictures of my friend. the guy looked at me and looked at jay and then scrambled to his feet. i thought he was going to walk away but instead he joined his friend and they started chiding jay about not needing to look so tough. they made some comments about the pictures being for his album cover and then the more aggressive of the two (clearly not doing very well) tried to sell us a denver voice newspaper. needless to say, neither jay nor i purchased the paper. they eventually walked away and jay said, "there's downtown denver for you."

thanks for your time today, jay.

02 may, 2010

rachel . 25 years old / denver . colorado

out for an early evening walk with a friend, we chose a course that kept us in the sunshine. that course happened to bring us into a neighborhood that i very rarely frequent. and that course also happened to cross paths with rachel and her dog, marley.

i spotted the duo from across the street and immediately knew it was them i needed to ask. this recurring feeling is one of the most intriguing aspects of this project. i can't figure out where it comes from. i approached rachel and told her what i was up to. i explained the whole process and said how many days i had been at it. she tried to pawn the photo shoot off on marley, but i persisted. she eventually caved in and we dove into the dialogue.

rachel came to colorado to attend school at denver university. she obtained a degree in yiddish literature, a course of study she sheepishly explained was no longer offered. rachel said that someone recommended that she read a book called "satan in goray" by isaac baschevis singer. she read the book and reported back only to have whoever recommended it tell her that she needed to read it in its original language - yiddish. this is what made rachel learn yiddish. can you believe that? impressive.

so, rachel speaks and reads yiddish and she currently works at a store here in denver called "kismet". she also takes care of marley, her 6 year old labrador/hound mix. rachel said that the lab/hound mix is a popular one around here because there are many hunters. apparently they have found them to be good workers. when the puppies don't prove themselves to be exceptional, the hunters get rid of them and they inevitably end up needing a new adoptive family. rachel found marley when he was 8 months old. somewhere in his youth, he developed a dislike for men in cowboy hats. i guess that is pretty easy to diagnose...

we had a lovely chat with rachel and it may have lasted a bit longer if it weren't for marley's desperation to go for a walk.

in the couple of days it has taken me to write this story, i have heard from rachel via email and she is getting cooler by the minute. thanks so much, rachel.

01 may, 2010

frank . 23 years old / golden . colorado

i have been living in denver for the last 14 months and today marked my first visit to golden, colorado. i didn't know there was anything there, but today i discovered (with my friend, her mom, and my mom) that it has a cute little downtown area. my friend and i walked around and i spotted a man sitting on a stone wall near a creek. we were up above the creek on a bridge, so we quickly made our way down to him to ask him to be the day's stranger.

frank was immediately open to the idea. he said he was just relaxing before a performance. he was smoking a hookah and it smelled delicious. i used spend a lot of time at a café in denmark and one of my friends there used to smoke a hookah religiously. seeing (and smelling) frank puffing away brought back some lovely memories. i was curious about what frank was about to perform so i asked him about it. it's great how one simple question can open the door to a variety of different topics. one little question can make all the difference.

frank was born in hawaii, but moved away when he was just one year old. when he was 6 or 7, he started showing an interest in the culture of his birthplace and began learning how to dance. he studied and practiced different kinds of polynesian dances for many years and then eventually began adding african dances to his repertoire. he now travels the world, performing and teaching people how to belly dance.

each year frank makes his way to the denver area to participate in this event. he plans his international trips on his own and figures out where he can travel to perform and teach. he seemed to thoroughly enjoy his lifestyle. he was very friendly and he seemed to be quite at peace. thank you so much for your time today, frank.