I wrote an article for 1 in 6 , a collaboration of international photographers on longevity. We were asked to photograph someone 72 years old. 72 is the average age of life, according to the Dept. of Global Health . I decided to choose someone who had struggles through life, so I made an ask at Voices Of Our City Choir, which is made up of unsheltered people. Earth offered, and I spent several days with her, photographing her as she told me all the hardships she had been through starting as a young child. She now lives alone in a low-income housing complex in San Diego.
One reader, a former student of Earth's, stumbled upon my article and reached out. The power of social media was evident as more former students started connecting with me. A Facebook page was set up, and the outpouring of love and memories for Earth was overwhelming. The first reunion is scheduled for next Sunday, a testament to the lasting impact Earth had on her students.
There was a time when Earth, without the aid of the internet and iPhones, lost touch with her past after moving to Mexico. Her past is flooding back to her, filled with love and memories. When I shared the news of her students reaching out, Earth was overcome with emotion, tears streaming down her face. This reconnection with her past has been a profound and emotional journey for her, a testament to the power of human connection and the importance of every individual's story.
Comments