Being Naive

I am naive. I've been naive all my life. Often stupiditly naive and occasionally innocently naive, but still naive. I still am and will probably always be somewhat naive. Less than in my youth for obvious reasonsIt's who I am and will be. The reality of how I see the world.

I have been so naive I sometimes forget where I am and what possible risks I have found or put myself. This was and still is true when I do street photography. I love to walk around and take pictures of the ordinary, or what I call walking around images, and occasionally find I have lost track of the world around me.

I have also often, but less often now, when meeting people of all descriptions and walk of life. I remember a time a homeless person was walking down the other side of the street yelling at the world and people. He suddenly walked across traffic to the plaza were I was standing still yelling. People anywhere near him were scattering.

When he saw he everyone leaving he approached me who was just watching the whole event. He kept yelling untill he got about 5 feet from me and stopped. After a short while he stopped yelling and I asked, "What's your name?" He suddenly froze, he face blank. I asked, "How can I talk to you if I don't know your name?"

He remained still and quiet, just looking at me, without knowing what to say. I have no idea what he was thinking but when the police arrived and walked up to him, he gently put his hands behind him to be handcuffed and walked with them, calmly and quietly. He looked back once to see I was still there watching.

It occurred to me all he wanted was someone to talk to and when he found that person, he didn't know what to do or say. I didn't see him as a threat. I didn't see any real risk, and could have easily avoided anything if he had. I just thought he deserved a chance. Yeah, naive.

I often wonder what happened to him. Did he get the help he needed. Did he find someome to talk with. And more importantly did he find a friend. That's all he wanted, we just didn't see it. And I doubt we helped. Yeah, naive of me too.