craig.j.tucker

How a Camera Saved My Gray, Old Grumpy Ass


I was found freezing in an alcoholic coma on a railroad track in Maryland.

I woke up in a Veterans Hospital psychiatric ward.

A social worker visited me and said, “Craig, you’re taking disability this time. No questions— This is it.” (I had refused disability for my PTSD, since I thought the free money would turn me into an alkie.)

The psychiatric ward kept me locked up until my first check of $20,000 landed in my bank account. Before they let me loose, another social worker escorted me to his office to show me his wall of B&W photography. He said the camera saved him from the bottle.

So I bought a Canon Rebel kit from BestBuy and hopped on the California Zepyr to San Francisco.

I spent 16 days roaming the hills of San Francisco with my new dSLR and took thousands of exposure. Didn’t get drunk once.

But I did find the old Dakota Hotel on Post & Taylor where a carload of Berkeley girls spit on my uniform, yelling from their car, “Fucking baby killer!”

Now I live in Downtown Chicago (very photogenic) surrounded by lots of camera equipment. While photographing Chicago, people ask me if I’m a professional. “No. Just a sober enthusiast.”

The moral of this story: Buy grumpy grampa a dSLR and push him out the door.

TBerwick Loc: Houston, Texas

Sometimes the paths we take are winding. From one vet to another, "thank you for your service."

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Haydon

Great story. Thank you!

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

If he has mobility problems get him a powered chair with the camera or a desktop macro set up and keep the younger kids busy catching bugs and stuff for him to photograph. Or all three things then he can go out in nice weather, do macro in bad weather and edit in all weather or at night.

I have known a couple of alkies who drank out of boredom at first, then because they were addicted. In general they had no interests aside from work and drinking - then later drinking and pan handling while living on the streets or someone's couch if they were lucky. Some recovered with help from family and friends, others ended up dead or in a state home with about 5 minutes of short term memory then memories of years ago and nothing in the middle.

Thank for your service - Army in Nam 66-69 here

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

danniepolley

Great story and best to you in the future.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Thank you for your service, both in arms and since.

Andy

safeman

My friend Bill was that way. Came home from Nam with 2 silver stars, 2 purple hearts and a heron habit. VA? Zero, zilch, nada. When he overdosed, they hauled him off to the county hospital. Detoxed him and back out on the street. Couldn't get into VA. No body came to him with a camera or anything else in the form of help. Last time I was able to find him he was living in a cardboard box in an alley off Second St. in San Francisco. I don't think anyone spit on him to do that would be to acknowledge his presence, they just stole from him and worst of all ignored him. That was around 1978.

He's dead now and his name will never be on the Wall. Combat vets today have suffered terrible wounds, PTSD is real now--it wasn't in 1978. Finally VA is starting to respond to the needs of the patients they are supposed to represent, remember they are the Veteran's Administration. Television heralds today's vets as hero's due all kinds of support, from improvements in VA benefits to asking for contributions for various veterans support organizations. These veterans deserve all the help and support a grateful country and it's citizens can provide. Please remember though, there are still some vets out there that you younger folks ignored, spit on, demonstrated against. You're government ignored their plight and you did nothing help. Yes they are few and old and after decades of being ignored they, in many cases, don't want anything from you. You are 40 years too late!

Chaostrain Loc: Hillsboro, Oregon

Congratulations on your recovery and thank you for your service.

LarryFB Loc: Depends where our RV is parked

Tom G Loc: Atlanta, GA

I'm curious Mr. craig.j.tucker; What's the point of the Circumflex over the a?

Is it to emphasize an Italian accent? Why?

queencitysanta Loc: Charlotte, North Carolina

Thank you for your story and your service God bless you.

bonefish Loc: Bradenton FL

Great story

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I'm guessing quotes.
Possibly "Ctrl-Quote" yields the funny characters? You see that every so often here.

Testing Ctrl-" ->
nope...