Earlier while out for my evening walk I passed by this guy at my local park, smiled and said, “Hey, how ya doing?”. He returned the smile and answered in a friendly way as I continued on. This in itself stood out to me because there was a genuineness to him, and I really appreciate those that don’t act like you are out to get them just by you smiling and saying hello. Well, on my way back by the same dude was standing in the same spot talking to the same friend when I noticed his hoodie and what it said on it. I automatically commented on it and ask if I could do a portrait of him. He was all for it, so after getting the shots I said, “So, that says you’ve never SOLD dope, but have you ever DONE dope?” He quickly replied, “Nope! I am dope.” I laughed as I prepared to take more notes about who he is:

This is @djmrking. He’s a 31 year old high school algebra teacher from Akron, OH that also just happens to be a DJ. I ask him what statement, thought, or quote he would want people that see this portrait to know and he said, “Everything happens for a reason.”

I agree. That being said, I wonder why I met him this afternoon? Is there any other reason than it just giving me the opportunity to let others know through this photo and its story that something as simple as a smile can have a profound impact on somebody’s day? It’s awesome when you connect with somebody in a positive way like this and it have nothing at all to do with sex, race, heritage, or money. Just two human beings wanting to be friendly to each other.

Thanks for being the highlight of my day, @djmrking