Close Encounters

I met this man while traveling aimlessly across the country in my car in March of 2012.  His family owned a tired old motel on the outskirts of Abilene, Texas. They had moved from India looking for a better life in the United States, and purchased this motel while the economy was booming.  Hit hard by the current recession, the motel parking lot was practically void of any guests. Similar family-owned hotels like this one, are hurting due to the lack of discretionary income being spent by working class families looking for affordable accommodations.

Before moving to the United States, his family had owned a movie theater in India that specialized in independent "art house"films. This opened the door to a beautiful conversation about movies: something I've never had difficulty talking about. This portrait pales in comparison to the experience of having met this dear, sweet man.