J. J. - A Homeless Man

As the sun began setting on Bowling Green last Friday afternoon, Joel Jerome Graham, also known as J.J., sat on a bench at Fountain Square Park with everything he owned beside him.

His blue camping backpack sat stuffed and covered with the American flag.

He hitchhiked from Georgia and had been here for three days. He'd only planned to stick around for a day or two, but found the people here friendly.

Now he's thinking of sticking around until spring.

J.J.'s not a big fan of homeless shelters or missions, so he avoids other homeless people wherever he is.

"My attitude is, 'If I've got it, you've got it.' That's not the attitude everybody has though. A lot of (homeless) people look around and say, 'I wonder what he's got, let's take it,'" he said.

During his 42 years, J.J.'s seen some hard times.

He was raised by two heroin addicts and an alcoholic.

He's served some time for minor drug and alcohol charges.

He lives on the streets and hitchhikes his way around, a self-proclaimed "Road Tramp."

He has a spider web tattooed to his right hand to remind him to stay out of a web of trouble.

There have been good times, too.

He used to work as a brick mason.

He completed high school.

He has family in Georgia he keeps in touch with.

He speaks eloquently about the real value of material possessions.

And the value of knowing Jesus.

Through it all, J. J. doesn't mind his situation. He prefers his simple life over the rat race.

As the shadows turned into soft darkness, winter's chill settled in. The search for a bed would begin soon.

"When the sun goes down, I'll find a cubbyhole where I can see everybody but they can't see me," Graham said.

                                                                                         --- Jesse Osbourne

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