Mike Hettwer Photography - Documentary, Archaeology and Dinosaur

826CHI Volunteer Photo Book: My World Project - Part 3

826CHI is the excellent non-profit that teaches creative writing and other skills to Chicago's inner city kids. I volunteered to teach a photo class and we eventually designed and published a book of the 68 extraordinary student photos seen here. They were accompanied by the student's short creative stories and captions.

The ten students ranged from 7th to 11th grade and they used the $90 digital cameras that I donated. Most of the students had no formal training and we had six weekly shooting sessions.

The book is available on www.blurb.com and 100% of the profits go to 826CHI. Please note that all photos in this section of the site were taken only by the 826CHI photo students.

People can’t choose those with whom they fall in love. According to some, love is inspired by a scent picked up by the significant other. If that is the case, then why should gender matter? Gender shouldn’t keep us from loving others. If all it takes is a scent, then condemnations from those who denounce the GLBT community (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) are absurd. They preach about how we should not hate nor judge others, yet they condemn love outside of the traditional heterosexual mode. I personally am not religious in any way, but I do believe that if there’s a God, He would love everyone equally. Why would He discriminate based on same-gender love? Love is love. If being gay is a sin, then homosexuals are forgiven, since God forgives people who sin. He forgives when people shoplift, judge, or even kill, so being part of the GLBT community shouldn’t be a big deal. God does love everyone.
   
My dog can do something no other dog can do, not even your dog. It can speak. It says “Mama.” My mother loves it when he does it, so every time he does, she gives him a treat – for example, a piece of hamburger.
   
“A picture is worth a thousand words” is clichéd and not always true. See this picture? Does a nice person come to mind? Or a possible, future serial killer? His name is Cris – short for Cristian I bet, but I’m not quite sure. I just met him a couple of months ago and, despite his evilness, he can be pretty chill. Sometimes I even envy him. He seems so loose and happy when he’s out skating. He skates sunrise ‘til late sunset.
     
  
At the Custer Street Fair there were many things happening, including face painting. I chose to take this picture because face painting reminds me of when I used to get my face painted like Batman when I was a kid. I went to Vanna’s Face Painting. Vanna’s was a small place. It looked like The Boring Store. Vanna herself painted my face.
   
When my mom was teaching me how to drive, she would always say, “Slow up now, slow up.” It bothered me tremendously.“Mom, the phrase is slow down, not slow up. You’re getting it confused with speed up. Would you like me to do that instead?”“Just watch the road, Rebekah. When I tell you to slow up, just listen.” You don’t slow up; you slow down. It’s almost like saying hair stands up instead of down and gravity just doesn’t let that happen, right?“Rebekah, slow up! Did you not see that car braking ahead of you?”
   
The chills went through my soul when I remembered the buildings and the people. What they used to be. And, I knew that everyone was now gone.Even so, they stand in a place where no one stands, with me.I remember the childish days of concerts, of happiness – before I was left behind. I can still remember the gray skies that turned white that day and how the buildings bent back and fell.And, I survived, in the mist of it all. The buildings did not fall on me. They fell on the people around me, all across the world, and I remember how the trees almost ran away. The crashing and screaming of all the people who didn’t want it to end. For them, it did, though their presence, their blood, still lingers here.The sky now has changed to a color that is pink, like my bedroom used to be – toxic pink.Destruction came over the earth the day the buildings bent back. The day all humankind got its punishment for ignorance. That was a moment I’ll never forget, part of history that only I can write.
     
  
It’s a typical summer day for my family sitting on the porch. My grandma and I are always outside in the summer. The porch brings me so many memories. Every Saturday we grill. My family and I are always having fun.The porch is a hangout for all of my family, as if we are sitting in the kitchen. We talk about how our day was. It also brings sad memories, like when we found out that my uncle was in the hospital in critical condition. We all consoled each other. Still, every time I come out to that porch I feel really good. My little nephew took his first steps on that porch and he lost his first tooth there. The porch is where I practiced my speeches. I was in a speech competition and was really nervous about reciting in front of a lot of people. Practicing on my front porch in front of my family, imagining I was on the stage with a big audience, gave me strength. When I actually presented the speech, I imagined I was on my front porch and magically my nervousness went away.The porch brings us all together, yet everyone still goes into their own little world there.
  
While traveling to this so called “Great America” park, it began to storm. After arriving, she decided to purchase a flash pass to skip the lines. Now it was worthless. Off and on the storm came. She finally gave in and ran around the amusement park yelling in anger at anyone who crossed her path.
   
Photographer Lucas ran to catch the supermodel Kea to take a picture of her. As soon as she saw his dark reflection on the train, she tried to act normal and ran to get onto the train. Lucas went Click! Click! Click!
     
  
The faces projected at the Crown Fountain change constantly, but this was the same face I saw when I went ice skating last year at Millennium Park. It’s ironic that I saw the same face in the middle of July, but this time it was living up to its full potential: cooling people off in the hot sun.
   
From this southwest view on the rooftop of Navy Pier, I have the whole beautiful, bright city of Chicago. Fifteen minutes of exploding color and noise. A big party with food, friends. But, that’s not all this is about. Independence! Along the way some of us might have forgotten. We can celebrate because we are free.
   
On June 21st, after being ushered into the dentist’s office, in a grumpy mood, Bernice Miranda sat in the patient’s chair and prepared herself for the dentist’s entrance. She wished she could be somewhere else – maybe at the park or at her friend’s house – any other place. When she heard the dentist’s footsteps she inhaled deeply and exchanged a glance with her sister standing on her left side. Seconds later, the dentist came in. After a brief conversation with Bernice and her mom, Dr. Maher Chehaiber got ready to clean her teeth. He put on white rubber gloves while the nurse got the drill ready. Then he started. The little sound zzzzzzz…began.“Open wide. Say ahh,” said the dentist as he proceeded to the left side of her mouth. Bernice felt like jumping up and ripping the drill out of his hands. “When are you going to finish?” she thought.Her mouth ached so badly. Ten minutes later. “All done. Now don’t forget to brush your teeth tonight,” the dentist reminded her. Those words were music to her ears. After she rinsed her mouth, a smile crept in. Now in a joyful mood, Bernice Miranda exited the dentist’s office, happy that the visit was over.
     
  
My brother, Daniel, is Dad’s little shadow. When Dad is at work mopping floors or building fences, Daniel will sit very still until Dad notices him and asks for a nail or a glass of water or just some help. He’ll hammer the nails into the new wood of a house, but only when Dad is there watching, making sure Daniel doesn’t hit his thumb.They have been like this as long as I can remember. As soon as Daniel learned to walk, he would follow Dad everywhere. Sometimes Daniel gets mad when our mom says he can’t help Dad cut the wood with his big electric saw. One time, Daniel followed Dad up the attic stairs and crouched near the electric saw. His little fingers pushed and pulled the handle and the big roaring saw began to cut down through the air. Dad came rushing in when he heard the sound and quickly disconnected the cord. Fortunately he didn’t hurt himself. Mom found out what happened that evening. From then on, she has always tried to keep my brother away from electric devices. When I stand at the top of the stairs in the evening, I can hear the sound of hammering, the noise of the saw, and always the laughter of their voices mixed together.
   
I trudge up the stairs trying to get to my source of food. Crawling up these stairs that don’t stop, I’ll walk on all of my 16 green arms just to get it. But man, I’m hungry! I can’t wait for that juicy green leaf.Note: The photo of the leaf window was taken at the top of the main stairs at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art.
  
July 19, 2008 was one of the loneliest days ever. Only an empty taxi rolled by every 20 minutes. Otherwise, there were no signs of human life anywhere. No humans, but one. Ana was her name.She was the chosen one. But, by whom? She didn’t know. All that was left was a note to her, saying, “Ana, the world needs you, make a change and you’ll survive.” That was it. No signature or date. Ana took comfort in a bottle of tequila. That day, she drank shot after shot until she was wasted. “Stupid life I have! All I ever do is get drunk and then pass out!” Tears streamed down her frustrated face. “Why did it have to be me? Huh? Is anyone out there? Can anyone hear my plea? Help! Aggh!” When the liquor wore off, Ana glanced at the near empty tequila bottle. “I don’t need you!” she screamed and slammed it across the floor. She then marched out of the room and into the street, into the world she once knew, ready and determined to find human life. A breeze picked up and the note flew by her feet. She bent down to grab it, and looked at it once again. It was signed Ana.
     
  
“Industry,” I thought as I looked out the window.“Darling, this piece is $250, shall we take it?” a voice called out to me. But I refrained from speaking or hearing. I just looked out the window and focused on the misty gray skies above. “Honey,” I sighed. I heard the voice one more time. I turned around to face him. “It’s a good deal,” I say to Aleck, my husband of a long and dreadful month. “We’ll take it,” Aleck says to the salesman. Then Aleck, my supposed “true love” for life, walks up to me. He rests his hand on a shoulder that will never be his.“Anne, what is wrong? You’ve been like this ever since you saw the doctor today.”I smiled for the first time since that mistake wedding. It was going to be a new frontier, a new beginning.Note: Salvage One is the name of the architectural elements reseller on Chicago's South Side where the photo was taken.
   
I really wish this woman would move up. “Ouch!” That was my toe. “Sorry, did I step on your foot?”“Oh no, I’m fine, thanks.”I’m so hungry. I hope Mom made some food. Wow, the light is beautiful. I love summer. It lifts my spirits. Life moves too fast. I wish people just stopped once in a while, stopped to appreciate things – life, their own lives, the lives of others.It’s all about going to school to get into a better school to get a good job to make money to be happy. Why can’t we just slow down and take some time to smell the roses – or the smelly guy behind me?
   
Every 4th of July we gather in the back alley behind our house to shoot off fireworks. Of course I just enjoy them from a distance because I’m scared to be too close to them.They’re so beautiful – like jellyfish in the night sky.I asked my brother to carry me on his shoulders, but he said, “No, estas loca!”So, I climbed on top of the Chevrolet truck to witness the dazzling light and take photographs.
     
  
Relaxing into the sunset sky, he enters the water. My Dad doesn’t like being at the beach during the prime, hot hours of the sun. So he always comes down around six and then swims during sunset.My Mom makes fun of him for how he swims because he swims a very slow freestyle. He doesn’t mind what’s going on at the beach. He goes at his own pace just like the sun setting. The water is perfectly calm. He has my dog by his side, just walking with him into the water. She’s a good companion – until he goes under and starts swimming away.
   
Woo! Yeah! The bus, that’s my car right there! No need for insurance nor a license, just patience – and lots of it. I ride the bus almost daily and have seen many interesting people and been in very odd situations.