Several years ago I attended a lecture given by the respected journalist Bill Moyers, and one of the things he said resonated with me so much I wrote it down on a scrap of paper, which I still have here on my desk.
“I see things feelingly,” Mr. Moyers admitted, “and sometimes it hurts.”
Journalism is like that. In the 30-some years that I made photographs for newspapers, there were many times I was assigned to cover stories about soldiers who had been killed in war, or about someone whose home had just burned to the ground, and it broke my heart.
At the same time, however, there are some stories that prompt journalists to write about or photograph unremarkable, everyday life. Journalists enter the worlds of people who go to work everyday and raise families, and I was humbled to be a witness as my fellow human beings accepted life's ups and downs with dignity and resilience.
This week my friend Lynette and I did volunteer photo work at an event, the Snohomish County Project Homeless Connect. Dozens of public and private organizations came together to offer, all in one place, social and health services for the homeless. The photograph you see above is a child getting her hearing tested. Below is a fellow who found help with pet care, while others received guidance with the often daunting task of navigating governmental bureaucracy. By day's end 400-500 people were served, many by volunteers.
As my friend and I shot pictures, I know we reacted feelingly. And it was heartening in these tough economic times to see a community reaching out to those in need.
