I was just a youngster at the time. I was a new man with a fresh, handsome face who was just out of college. God, it's hard to remember the time but I believe it was around the 70s.

After college, I had $5,000.00 in debt, my spirit, and my camera. I studied business for 4 years to make my deceased parents proud in the afterlife but I really never cared about business. It was just so boring. I wanted to be a photographer but not just any photographer; one that makes a difference.

I had some random photos of some roommates getting evicted and a few more of my friends at their part time weren't much but I decided to do something with them.

I sent my favorite photos into a local art contest. I won the award for best interpretation of life. At that moment, when I was accepting the certificate, I realized that I wanted to feel like that always. I decided to do that for a living. That was the life I wanted and the one I chased.

I decided that my type of art would be depictions of society that the public chooses to ignore: transvestites, prostitution, homelessness, and more. Being part of the LGBT Community sorta drove me into this as well.

My wall became filled with my work in a matter of days. I had no idea how I was going to pay off my rent and college loan debt. I also didn't know how to turn my dream into my dream job. Since I had a serious lack of plans, I worked anywhere that would give me inspiration: strip clubs, underprivileged schools, I even spent some time managing money for a brothel. My picture collection became greater and larger than ever. After getting so many, I decided it was time to do something with them, so I put together little portfolios and sold them at a local store. The owner said they sold as soon as they came in. They asked me to make more and even offered to pay for my photos to be put into a book. I agreed, of course. I made $200.00 extra a month so I began to save up some more cash to move to a nicer place in the city. I finally started to feel that my dream was starting to show.

…

I got a phone call one day, actually not long after I started selling my pictures. Believe me or not it was The New York Times asking for me to do a special segment on a photojournalism piece. They told me that my societal image was unique and just what they needed in their paper. I agreed to do it immediately.

The world of journalism was an amazing journey. I got to have my face and work known. I got payed $500.00 every time I published something. I decided to move to New York City a few months after I became a regular on The New York Times. I moved into a decent apartment and started a new life. I went from a lonely newbie who just entered reality, to a successful man, not even in his 30's yet. I even payed off my loans.

But later on, I became someone I never thought I'd be...