The Old Dog Discusses: When Life's Not Easy. From Street Vendors to Street Musicians!
As I move about in my travels I encounter many who seem to be struggling mightily to make a living. Of course these people need to provide food and shelter for themselves and often they have no work permit or any social system that they can fall back on.
How to Survive When Times Are Tough!
Some beg, some aggressively try and sell trinkets or designer knock offs of various descriptions, others offer to take your shopping cart back to the docking station in exchange for keeping the deposit and some make attempts to wash the windshield of your car while you're at a stop light or a highway rest stop.
I cannot even imagine how tough it must be to find yourself in this situation and the rate of rejection and scorn is likely very high. Life is so difficult for so many people!
Credit: Àngel García/PRI Street Vendors in Barcelona
Making The Best of a Difficult Situation!
Last week while in Bra, Italy I heard music from a distance. I followed it and found a wandering minstrel / street musician who was quite skilled with the accordion.
I asked if I could film him and his joy was evident. I thought to myself that perhaps this is one of the more socially acceptable ways to provide for yourself when things are tough. He, at least, seemed to garner a lot of self satisfaction while displaying his musical talent! I gave him a few Euros, he smiled and I wondered what his life was really like.
This man had skill and talent and as he walked about playing he was able to put some money in his pocket.
What do You Think?
- Do you feel sorry, annoyed or both when you see people begging or selling on the street?
- Do you ever buy something from a street vendor that you don't really need just to help?
- Do you think that playing an instrument would be a more satisfying way to survive?
I hope that you enjoyed this article on "When Life's Not Easy. From Street Vendors to Street Musicians!"
Until next time,
@kus-knee (The Old Dog)
I feel sorry, but I like when someone is actually trying do to something, no matter if it's taking the cart back or wathever. When I went to school in Milan there where a woman over a railway bridge and she cleaned it up every day. Good weather, bad weather, she still was there. She deserved every euro she raised, and she deserved something more for shure!
Very skilled player though! And I think being a street musician can be a way of living satisfying for the musician himself and also for the people around. They can spread some joy in a grey cold city day, so they deserve some money in exchange!
Anyway something that is scaring me is where the money goes when someone's begging...
Thanks for your nice comment and the experiences that you shared. It is amazing what the woman in Milan was doing. Yes that accordion player pulled me like a magnet with his skilful playing!
Nice Post
ah ah ah devo sempre fare il mio post compilation sui musicisti di strada....
That would be great. This was the third artist that I have featured and whenever I find someone talented I will feature another one. I look forward to seeing yours.
Poverty... Now here's something I can write volumes on, being an expert on being poor. Here's something interesting for ya... A masters student at Harvard decided to do his Master's Thesis in Sociology on panhandling. He dressed up all different ways and went out into Harvard Square to beg. He found that dressing up in a 3 piece suit brought the best results... the more needy he looked, the worse the results- go figure!
That is a very intersting study. I wonder how many of these people could be helped to make a decent living by writing on Steemit. Sometimes, in their country of origin 1 dollar a day would make a big difference.
It's working for me! Lord, I feel like the world's biggest idiot- I bought a new phone so I can take pictures. I took some but I can't find them anywhere! To make matters worse, I'm going to have to get help from my 6 year old grand daughter!!!
A very thoughtful post! My father was homeless for a while when he was younger and he talks about hitchhiking across the US and doing odd jobs (manual labor) to survive. He said, back then in the late 50's, you could arrive in almost any small town and the local sheriff would allow you to sleep in an empty jail cell if they had any free. I'm sure there was more sympathy back then since the Great Depression was so fresh in people's minds. Oh how the world has changed!
I think a portion of these people choose the lifestyle because they don't like the feeling of existing within the confines of traditional modern society. One reason I like cryptocurrency so much is it allows that same freedom without the day-to-day struggle to survive.
Great post, @kus-knee!
Thanks a lot for your lovely comment. I enjoyed seeing you from afar as I watched the streaming of Steemfest. For some reason I didn't catch the trailer for your film project. Where can I see it?
By the way I love the picture that you took of the cobblestones in Lisbon and had meant to add it to my last virtual gallery posting but I forgot to do so! :)
It's great to have you here on Steemit and I agree with you about the freedom that crypto can provide. I am fascinated by Steemit's potential in third world countries where a few dollars actually means a lot!
You're very welcome! We had them cut the feed on the live stream when we showed the trailer. We're going to be releasing it on Steemit soon.
Thanks, Lisbon was enchanting! We had so much fun exploring and plan to come back soon. After filming season one of HardFork we might come back to Sintra and stay a while.
I really appreciate the kind words. I truly feel we're just beginning to see the benefits that crypto and blockchain can provide. The third world will be transformed the most. Some of the projects on the drawing board for third world countries are mind-blowing. Enjoy your weekend and Steem on!
Wow thats crazy i didnt know you could sleep in an open jail cell back then. being homeless is definitely its own challenge and different people have their own reasons ranging from choice and being lazy or simply chasing a dream to no choice and forced to live on the street. you Never can tell unless you talk to them which some of them have some wild stories lol. I chose to live out of my car for a year at one point in order to save money to buy a house and now i have one! it was definitely its own adventure to say the least lol Thanks for bringing this insightful post @kus-knee
Very talented! Thanks for the show! I say it's all in the eye's of the one in their own situation or "life movie" that they themselves have created! The "life movie" can be changed in an instant through thought and action at any time via the individual. It's really that simple. If you don't like your "life movie" simply change it. This particular gentleman looks to be very happy and at ease just doing something he loves. Isn't this what life's all about. Do we really need bragging rights via our successes in life to what... impress others or do we need to just love what we do, whatever that is, and create? Take Chris Cornell for instance. This very talented musician and father of three who was worth multiple millions and had the respect and envy of many through out the musical world we all know committed suicide at age 52? Why would someone who seems to have it all do such a thing leaving his three ,not adult, children behind? There are so many other examples of this also. I suppose what i'm trying to say is that our happiness/needs are not determined by $, possessions, or approval from others but rather from within ourselves and what we define them to be.
What a lovely reply. I have also found this to be true and I found a living example when I wrote about the Organ Grinder in Lugano.
That all depends on the situation. It's like begging for follows or upvotes. I used to work in a city park and a lady would come by every couple of days to pick up the empty cans and recycle them. She was relentless in her persuit. I heard later she put her granddaughter through college recycling those cans. People are very imaginative when it comes to survival.
I spent much of my youth searching for bottles to take back for the deposit so this resonates well with me.
I was pretty amazed at her determination. As a teen I too collected pop bottles for the deposits. That was how we picked up enough loot to buy what we wanted @ 10 years old!
It's a great education in being self employed!
It would prove useful to a few individuals that want it now! Thanks for a reminder of what it used to be like.
He is a talented accordion player. Here where I live we do not know too many street vendors. On special occasion we may hear a street musician. But they seem to stick with the larger cities (Chicago , St. Louis etc) . However we have many panhandlers who work the interstate interchanges and do quite well. They require a yearly license to do this. I would make better money if I did that! LOL but they are not liked here where I live in fact they are frowned upon. What do I think? Some of them could and should go get a job but you do what you need to do. AS for street musician, they provide a service and enhance the culture of a city. THEY ROCK! Thanks for the intriguing topic and post my friend.
I respect very much your assessment that he is talented because you are a musician. I also agree the good street musicians can add a lot to the culture and vibrancy of a city or town. I love to stop listen and then pay!
For me it totally depends on the street vender @kus-knee , and how they approach me ! Im much more likely to donate some change to the vender that's maybe playing a guitar with his case open to throw your change in , instead of the guy that's asking for hand out and bothering me ! Some of these are pros as well , and can make hundreds of dollars a day like the sqeegie guys in Vancouver that run over and clean your windows when your stopped at a light , they are very fast and most pay them pretty good ! People feel sorry for them , while they make more in a day then I make all week ! 😳😒👌
Off to bed ! Have a great Monday !!
Thanks for including your personal experience in your comment. I have made similar observations.
Your welcome !
Oh super nice version of Piazzolla's "Libertango" !!!
Are good at playing "Name That Tune"? Well done!