Syndicated from Vain Lane
Photographer Jakkrit Jannakhon. Alley in downtown LA.
Jak and I went downtown to work on a photo series. As he tried to integrate photography with night, lighting, and the low key energy of the city, I learned something.
I stood next to a man in a wheelchair, who was hiding behind a towering beam that protected his cigarette from the wind and his bare hands from the chill. I wasn’t quit sure if he was homeless or not, as he had many things attached to his wheelchair, but his cell phone was charging near by. I stood there trying to observe and absorb it all. After a good while, the man in the wheelchair turned to me and plainly said, “You’re peaceful inside,” which surprised me.
Funny thing, a year ago, peaceful would definitely not come to mind in describing me or my tendencies. If anything, it would be the exact opposite. Comparing this month last year to this month this year, the duality of it all is so striking and forceful, it is ineffable. Or maybe that is my excuse for never having the proper words readily available when I need them. Someone I once knew very well can attest to that.
But, I realized, with the vicissitudes of life, it has brought me to a point where inner peace can be seen even by strangers. And at the end of the day, isn’t that all we ever want…to be seen.