For my final project I decided to interview the homeless. So I made sandwiches, packed cookies, and went to Salt Lake City. As I set out on this little adventure I had no idea how much I was going to learn from these individuals and how much questions I would be left with.
......
I first went to the park in downtown Salt Lake. Many homeless individuals come here to sleep and to find rest. The first lady that I interviewed was named Nikki Smith.
I approached her and introduced myself and my friend Bradyn. I then proceeded to sit down and I began to talk to her. It surprised me how willing she was to just sit and talk.
I offered her a sandwich but she said no.
I then began to ask her questions.
The first one I asked was where was she from?
She replied: Los Angeles.
I asked where her favorite place in Salt Lake was and she said Kearns.
I asked her why?
She said: She had lived there with her husband but was kicked out because she had written a threatening letter to her husband.
I then asked what her favorite memory was she said: her waitressing job at Sizzlers. She said it was the best job that she had ever had and it saved her life.
She told me some stories because I told her I applied for a waitressing job at Brick Oven.
She loved meeting new people and loved the ones that came back.
She said it was a hard job yet so worth it.
The last question I asked was what is the most important thing you have ever learned in your life?
There was no pause she said it as if she had thought it many times in her life.
She said: "To always love. Always love your enemies. No matter how hard life is you can always love."
You could tell by this lady's face that she had had a hard life.
She didn't want a picture of her close up so I took one of her far away.
It isn't the best picture yet I think it describes her perfectly.
Alone.
She is a beautiful women.
With so much so share with the world.
We left her by telling her to go talk to the missionaries at temple square.
......
This is CS. He was also in the park and he is a character.
As my friend Bradyn and I approached him he was getting out a ziplock bag.
I went up to him and again sat down and started talking to him.
He was rolling his own cigarettes.
I asked if I could ask him a few questions and he was all for it.
Again I was surprised on how willing he was to talk.
CS could talk and talk.
I probably sat there for about 30 minutes and listened to him.
Yet I loved it.
I asked him the same questions that I asked Nikki.
First: Where are you from?
He said: Los Angeles. But he left Los Angeles because he didn't have a car.
He would have stayed if everyone rode bikes but his rich friend even offered for him to stay with him but his friend had a car so he didn't want too. But he has lived all over. He lived in Alaska for 10 years as a truck driver.
He went to college to be an artist and designed many buildings. He also worked for the Pentagon.
His son lives in Shreveport, Louisiana so he lived there for a while.
We sat there and listened to him talk about the places he lived for a while and agreed on the fact that people should ride more bikes more often and I continued asking quiestions.
Favorite Place in Salt Lake: He hates Salt Lake. He says it is way to cold and he wishes he could leave but he is waiting on his court date because he got in trouble with his car. So he has to stay for a couple more days.
Favorite Memory: He said it was when he died and went to heaven. He says that people think he is crazy when he describes heaven yet he remembers it being like a Kaliediscope you just float around. He was shot ten years ago and that is why he went to heaven. He says he hated when he came back because life is sure hard and heaven was easy.
We told him he should go to the temple and see if heaven matched up with what the missionaries had to say.
He said that he took the discussions long ago and knows what Telestrial, Terlestrial and the Terlestrial are.
Pat has invented a air freshener called Splashee which he is trying to make big.
When I asked him what was the most important thing that he has learned in his life he said: "You can't look back... Never look back... what goes on today won't go on tomorrow."
Even with all that CS has gone through he is still very loving and enjoys talking.
I learned a lot from CS and enjoyed listening to him talk.
......
As we were driving to Temple square we saw Billy sitting beside a stoplight.
So we stopped and talked to him for a while.
Billy was very intelligent and up to date with what was happening in the world.
We talked to him about the plane crash and how lucky it was that no one died.
Billy is from Liberty, Missouri and his favorite place in Salt Lake is downtown.
He is a Veteran of the Vietnam War and served in the navy. The navy has brought him to many places and his favorite memories consist of serving in the navy.
He loved going to France. He just loved serving in general.
He stays with a lot of different people and says that a lot of people have taken pictures of him for different things and he enjoys it because he gets to talk to new people.
The most important thing that he has learned in this life is that: People are giving. Not all people are bad.
Billy was the first person that made me question how do you get to this point?
......
Beside Billy was a man name Jarry.
Jarry's first question was: Why would you interview me? And what is it for?
I told him it was for a class and he said,
"Good.
Get an education its the most important thing you'll ever do."
Jarry is from Kearns, Utah and is super funny.
His favorite place in Utah is the temple. The temple he says saved his life.
We asked if he is a member and he said no... because he thinks he's a bad man and doesn't deserve the love of Christ.
How wrong he is.
His favorite memories consist of him and his children. His oldest is 24 and youngest is 5. He loves his children very much. I wonder where they are?
He thinks that they hate him.
I asked what has he learned most in this world and he said: Share and Share a like.
Many people have saved him through sharing he said. Thats why he loves the temple.
Billy is a good man.
He just doesn't know it yet.
.......
Then there was Pat.
Pat went to BYU and the U and is from Florida.
He stood out to me because he had two dogs and was on an electronic wheel chair.
His car just got auctioned off because he couldn't afford it.
He was a sweet man, very sad though.
He sits outside the Jazz games and takes used tickets for the homeless because he gets a burger every ticket and gives them away.
He was a marine and is very giving.
His favorite place in Salt Lake is the Capital because it is beautiful.
His two dogs are named Abraham and the Mighty Zeus.
He loves his dogs more then anything... They are his best friends.
When I asked what his favorite memory is he started crying...
He said: spiritual things.
And left it at that.
He said the greatest thing that he has ever learned is his life is to always help others.
Pat takes his own advice. He seems to always help others even though he himself doesn't have much to offer.
......
Justin is from St. Louis and he is part Indian.
He was in the army in Texas and then moved to Salt Lake and has been there for 30 years.
He loves Sugar House, which is on the east side of Salt Lake, because it is very well off.
When I asked what his favorite memory was he said of alll time? Thats a hard question to ask...
Well if it has to be of all time he said it would have to be in 6th grade when he played the drums and played Drummer Boy. His mom he said was never prouder.
He loved his childhood.
He loves the past.
His advice was that Salvation comes through Christ. Don't worry about worldly things for tomorrow they don't matter.
He is living Proof of that.
His birthday was that day.
I gave him four bags of cookies.
.......
By this time it was getting late and we were going to head back but as we were walking
Valgalbel John happened to say hello.
And asked if my sister Mckenzie and I were twins.
We aren't but we told him that I have a twin.
He was excited that McKenzie asked if we could hear him play his guitar.
He played a Johnny Cash song and we are pretty sure he added some verses.
Yet he was so happy that we sat there for 30 minutes and listened to him.
He has 3 fingers on his left hand yet still played and played.
I didn't ask him many questions because he said he loved sharing music.
It gives him so much joy so he wanted to share it with everyone.
I did ask him one question and that was what was the most important thing that he has learned in his life?
He said: The world is full of suffering and struggles... but help others because you can escape as human.
And that is why he plays.
Because he wants to escape this world as human.
With that note he ended with a song.
A beautiful sad song.
He asked what our names were we told him and he said his guitars name was Mckenzie after his friend that had died.
Valgalbel brings joy to everyone and is the happiest person I have met.
You can tell by his smile.
.......
This project at first was that a project. But it became something much more.
It became a life lesson. These people are really the most amazing people you will talk to.
From now on I am going to bring sandwiches with me when ever I go to a big city.
All they wanted was for someone to listen to them to talk to them.
You never know what you can learn from a person so never take a life for granted.
You never know when someones life is about to end.
If that one smile could make someones day or save a life.
So don't judge people.
Smile and say hello.
Take time and talk.
Remind someone everyday that someone cares enough.
Remind them that our Savior cares and loves everyone.
But most importantly take the advice of these good people.
To love, serve, and never look back.
