A Man in the Woods

" A Man in the Woods" by Andrew White ( A freshman majoring in psychology and human services. Spring 2010), portrays a vivid and descriptive picture of a poor town, northwest of Atlanta's city called Bankhead. In the narrative, the author focused on a man in the Bankhead Village, as it was called by the men who lived there, its proximity to a gravesite and the poor social conditions he saw during the latest of his visits with Becca his sister. They were on a humanitarian visit, carrying food and water to the eight men who braved the grueling cold of winter while living in substandard houses.

One man of the eight stood out in the author's view. His friendly and unselfish demeanor spoke volumes of the fact that sharing and being respectful to others ensured his survival during the hardest of time. James, as the author called him, was a man who did not allow his circumstances to define him. He gave without expecting anything in return, Andrew noted. It was evident of how Andrew depicted the guided tour of the village by James, that he wanted the reader to capture the settings, the piles of uncollected trash, the ash from burnt rubbish, and the rats its pungent scent drew as well as James's unwavering commitment to the community in sharing what was brought by Andrew and Becca.

This is a moving story that dispays caring for those that are less fortunate, or those who fell behind in a fast- paced society with a down turn in the economy.It is clear from the narrative that he had visited this community before and was committed to helping the man he admired, in the woods. The story's message highlights a greater effort from members of the greater society to reach out to others that are struggling in dilapidated conditions not fit for human habitation. The essay ends anticlimactically with a hand shake, an appreciative thank you, and the dawn of a new season, spring, and the prospects to come of another visit to the man in the woods.