Jordan Verdin

“When you don’t have materials or possessions that guide you comfortably, all you have is your feet and your shoes. Your shoes can only do so much; they’re material, just like your skin. My shoes are super important because I must walk 30 to 100 miles, given where I’m going and what I’m trying to do to get out of my position. I don’t just sit around waiting. Like everyone, I’m striving to rise from my position. A lot of good people go through the worst things. Don’t assume that those people are going through things because they are not good people. Like me, they’re trying to stride in the right way and still survive. A lot of bad things happen to good-hearted people. Keep that in mind when it’s your time to be there for somebody, or it’s their time to be there for you.” - Aaron
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What would we say to one another? How would we treat each other if we saw ourselves in the shoes of others? This is just a simple photo idea, and I hope to inspire people to see themselves in the shoes of others, contributing to a more kind world. A mile in my shoes.

I met Adrian in Calexico yesterday. I walked past him and circled back to ask him if I could take some pictures of him. Here is a little of what he shared with me. “My name is Adrian. I am 28 years old, and I sell produce here in the Imperial Valley; I also deliver to restaurants. If I could share something, I would say work; we don’t have any other way but to work to come out ahead.”

“My name is Travis Jones, I’m 42 years old. I grew up in a strict Christian household with a Marine Corps father and a stay-at-home mom. It was like that most of my life until high school; I started doing drugs, moved out, and my parents split up, and things got crazy. I was your average kid at the beginning, but then drugs took over, and I went to prison. Drugs and alcohol ruled my life. Thank God I got free from alcohol in the past couple of years. And things have been different. I’ve been out on the streets for about two years. It’s been a long two years. Before this, I was working with dogs, and I had a boss, and I lived on the property; I had an anger issue, and it caused me to lose my job. I still have an anger issue from time to time. The drinking went hand in hand, and I lost all my family and friends because of that. I just got sick of hurting everybody, and I just got okay with being homeless. The past two years have been the most growth, the most beautiful, and the hardest in my life. People think we don’t want more, that we’re just drug addicts. And not everybody’s, on the streets, is a drug addict or an alcoholic, you know. Some people are out there because of mental illness. Mental health is a big part. So, look out for your people who have mental health issues. Put away your prejudices. Put away your bias. Put away all your opinions and everything you think. Look at the person that’s inside. If there’s a person you see, a good person, talk to them for five seconds. You know, it’s not about judging anybody. Someone once told me, don’t steal another man’s shine.”
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If you have any kind words to share, please do and I will relay them to Travis. Thank you for being kind.