Radically Retired

Juxtaposition

Written by

Terry

in

,

Alongside a secondary highway, in San Juan, Texas, there’s a little park that we pass often.

There’s a mini Lady Liberty, so we’ve often wondered what the park was all about.

Last week, we finally stopped to check it out.

The park is a war memorial, dedicated to armed forces members from the area who died serving their country in various wars since WW2 . Its name is Liberty Park.

The subject of this post, and my feature photo is the juxtaposition of the words carved in the back of the bench and the abandoned items on the bench that hinted that maybe someone had spent the night there. What would be your guess about this scene?

Comments

12 responses to “Juxtaposition”

  1. A Creative Spirit Avatar
    A Creative Spirit

    By the placement of the items I’d say 3 people had been sitting on the bench?

    the park is a wonderful memorial to those who died in the wars. We should never forget those who died in service to their country.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Terry Avatar
      Terry

      You could be right about the items on the bench, Carole. Thanks for giving your guess as well as your other comments. I agree that we should never forget.

      Like

      Reply
  2. Lana Avatar
    Lana

    That is a very interesting park. Strange the top would be left behind if it was a homeless person sleeping there. It could have been youths just forgetting it. I live on a park and the amount of times kids leave their clothes, shoes, hats, socks etc outside is astonishing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Terry Avatar
      Terry

      That’s another possibility, Lana. Thanks for weighing in!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  3. Betty Avatar
    Betty

    I can’t really tell what the black item is on the bench. But a guess that someone spent the night is possible. It’s important to remember this history and honor those who served. We should have special programs for homeless veterans – maybe we do, and if so, are the programs effective?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Terry Avatar
      Terry

      It was a sweater, Betty. Professor Google says that VA does have programs for homeless veterans that include rental assistance and food stamps. Whether or not those programs are effective, I don’t know. Another thought I had about this scene is that possibly whoever was on the bench left in a hurry when police showed up. Why else would someone leave their sweater behind? There are so many story possibilities to scenes like this, aren’t there? Have a great day!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  4. explorenewness Avatar
    explorenewness

    It makes one wonder! I can’t grasp or imagine the hardships the homeless must face. So sad.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Terry Avatar
      Terry

      I hear you there, Lenore. Those of us who enjoy both dependable shelter and guaranteed food have two of the biggest blessings to be thankful for.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  5. annemariedemyen Avatar
    annemariedemyen

    I think it is just sad that in such a sacred space there are those who cannot even clean up after themselves.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
    1. Terry Avatar
      Terry

      I agree Anne. Unless it was someone with a mental disorder, or drug/alcohol issues … then although it’s still sad and disrespectful, it would be more understandable. Have a great rest of your day!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
    2. Chuckster Avatar
      Chuckster

      Another consideration to account for this is that about 20% of the male homeless population are veterans. That means roughly 1 in 5 homeless adult men have served in the U.S. military. May God bless the Homeless, Americans.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
      1. Terry Avatar
        Terry

        You know, Chuckster, I thought about that too. Perhaps it was a homeless veteran paying respects and then spending the night.

        Liked by 1 person

Thanks for stopping by to read and comment!

More posts