A legless photographer. A couple announced while we're having a drink in a bar.
When I first hear it. As I love photograph and I photograph everything, everyday I can.
My reaction was what a cool angle he can photograph. Like Roman Polanski's p.o.v. once he said, or as low as Japanese movies that p.o.v. often from the tatami ground.
Then this couple keeps elaborate how he can move and lift on a table with a blink of time. With my filmography background. My mind starts to fill with a picture about a legless man on the top of the bar. My eye brows frown.
They talk about him with a bizarre enthusiasm like he is the next coolest thing they have found or a new black for the coming spring. My eye brows frown more. Which I'm not sure if they know how they sound.
The man said. He's a good looking guy with many girlfriends...
Many girlfriends? Then my mind starts to have a Monty Python collage adding on girls around the bar top.
I asked. You said he's legless. So he has the lower part of ...? "I've never ask him ... maybe ..." The man replied in trying to fetch an appropriate answer in his head. While this couple is flipping on their blackberry maybe to find if there is any picture of the legless man online. I can't help to stop my memory flashes back to all the legless handicaps I've ever seem. "All" ? That sounds a lots. Yes. I'm not exaggerating.
I start to explain. My generation in Taiwan had a danger rough childhood. We have been told severely not to talk to stranger, not to open door to stranger, should stand at the very same spot and not to follow stranger if got lost etc. You may say you have all been told so as well. But apparently my mom once grabbed me back from a stranger's hand just quite before I disappearing in a noisy and crowded market.
That's how it could happened that time in Taiwan. Some people steal kids and sell or beat the kids up to handicap or blind them for beggar's organization. The couple gave me a pair of strange faces, perhaps wondering what am I going wild again?
A girl was born in Thailand looked at me in searching for words. Like "Slumdog Millionaire" I said. "That's exactly what I was thinking." The girl happily added. Yes. That but a much less indian color was just like the world in a child's eyes in 70's Taiwan. The stolen boys ended up as beggars and the stolen girls will head to one of those whore houses in the dark alley in the old town.
After all these years. I still clearly remember those helpless crying handicap kids in the market as fresh as yesterday. I remember the kids were all about my age and some even taller than me. They just stood there, lied on the over heated lost shape asphalt and stinky puddles. Many of them seriously handicapped in all sorts. Legless, armless, earless, mute or blind. They're extremely bonny and messy with shredded summer tee and stained over size short tied on their tiny waist, even when the weather turned cold and humid. They cried or sobbed, tears and snot all over their lonely faces and weeping arms, cried all their little hearts out every time they've been let out. They were crying for mom, crying for help and the end crying for money.
I've heard a story about a little kid like this, was beat up to handicap so much that once he bumped to his own mother who can't recognize him. The kid cried and cried, grabbed her leg with all his strength and won't let go of the sad face lady. He cried and cried until the lady finally realized from the boy's eyes that this boy is son of her own. I remember my 1st year elementary teacher told the story to the entire stunned class of fifty something lucky kids.
I'm not sure how true was the story. But those unlucky ones didn't find their way back home. Maybe a few among of them, if I dare difference them, are legless and body shapeless, creeping alone side of the rocky road, under the popular area's building arcade to arcade, selling the famous american Green Arrow chewing gums among our feet and legs. How ironic. And still today. The unfortunates are still there. In any traditional market, on a high end shopping street or the worse place like raining smelly night market. And unfortunate us, we learned to live with. We learned to be senseless, and maybe even heartless without any look or even a stare at them anymore. And for me. I feel extremely lucky every time I see them. That I wasn't ended up in those beggar's hand, among those busy walking by heartless feet. Those unfortunate street creepers, same as my age, grew by time like us. And we. Our feet witnessing them grow, gan age, having grey hair. Which I'm sure. They've never thought about to buy a camera and take picture when they pass people around.
Stare? How can you be so sure they're staring at you? Do you know people are maybe more gentle and compassion than you thought? People look at you maybe simply because you caught their attention. They look down at you is maybe because that's the only angle they can apply. Maybe you remind them to appreciate life. Maybe they admire your courage and your skateboard skill. Or simply think you're a good looking man and they wanted to know you better. And you. Take picture of people looking at you without their permission and call them staring at you because you're handicap and you picture them back in return maybe is as leverage act you commit. Don't you think if you give those looking at you people a bit more time maybe you'll find them really sweet and treat you just as normal as anyone else? Don't you know you're damn luckier than the stolen kids spend whole their lives market begging, selling american chewing gums in Taiwan's night market?
We look up to you. We're not staring at you.
ABC News video on Kevin ConnollyKevin Connolly's website
