I wore my scrubs in to Starbuck’s. My case was late starting and I stopped by on the way in. I sat down in a faux leather arm chair. Immediately Michael engaged me. Being my usual reclusive self, I acted busy on my phone. He wouldn’t have it. Asked me why they weren’t called Blues, the scrubs. Why not? Unanswerable questions like this poured from him. I stopped fidgeting and just listened. He told me about being drunk on Pilot Butte (local hill) and the $800 ambulance ride to the ER. $800! I know, I said. It’s a lot.
He told me he was a twin split from his brother at birth. He later found him at age 10, but didn’t stay in touch. His step-father took him to an institution at 18. He broke the one rule that would have had him out of there in a week: he got in a fight. Since then it’s been over 20 years of mental health. At this point he is the rock star of Bend (Oregon) mental health. I asked, then, if I could take his picture as that rock star. He said yes.
This picture is #2 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
Oh I know this guy too well. Great story and great shot.
It’s gonna be so cool to look back on these 100 photos and see how they change…
The stance.….…you know only one type stands like this.….…
Interesting guy. (.o0O Aren’t they green?)