Carlos Sergio Remeutoley
A challenge I overcame: Jockey (Vendimia Mendoza)
A dream for my future: to give up drinking wine
A hope for the global community: to be happy
Carlos is a Chilean street-sleeper in Buneos Aires. He has had no home (in the sense of a roof over his head) for over 15 years. When Dani and I met him in the street just after our Retiro shoot he was smiley and friendly and when we parted after a few minutes chat I commented to Dani that having met Roberto the night before and now Carlos, I was impressed by how friendly Buenos Aires homeless folk seemed.. in contrast to the (clearly unfair) aggressive stereotype. Dani replied that perhaps I was particularly lucky to draw these types ... who knows?
The interesting thing for me was that I happened to bump into Carlos a couple more times, later on the same day inside the bus station, and the following day at the nearby train station where Carlos was damn helpful in making sure I got on the correct train to head to Zona Imaginaria.
Crossing paths with Carlos three times also challenged my personal prejudices... in these days when I had been so ready to invite folk to participate in the postcard-portrait project it took me until the third time to invite Carlos, and I have to ask myself why? (It is an ugly thing to think that my slowness was anything to do with his being a street sleeper, folk who are all too often undervalued by society and unseen, invisible. Being as this postcard project is a project about community and Carlos was a member of my community-in-transit (we were temporarily recognised faces for one another - smiling and exchanging kisses each time we bumped into one another) it was clearly important to invite him to join this project, hence the life-nudging with three path-crossings.
I am grateful to have had this third chance, and happy that Carlos was quick to participate. Carlos' eyes glittered with pride as he told me of being a jockey, and having raced at the track Vendimia in Argentina's Mendoza. I was touched by the honesty of his answer for his personal hope, to give up drinking wine, and I wondered was alcohol the reason for his repeating the same questions a few times, not registering that I'd already answered him.
You are a very kind and warm fellow Carlos, thanks for the help with the train!
And a deep thank you for unintentionally giving me the opportunity to confront and challenge (and hopefully alter) some of my own personal subconscious prejudice.
Suerte en todo, y que la vida te traiga aventuras hermosas.
:-)
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