Graffiti Send Message of Survival
By: Marci Manley
Updated: April 13, 2012
"Graffiti is great!"
At any other time, tagging a home with spray paint would be a crime. But in the tornado destruction of Joplin, it's a way to communicate.
"I wanted to put something that people could come by and see that maybe would give them some encouragement," says Tim Bartow painting his home to send out a message of hope during hard times. "I kept hearing people saying, 'Oh, you guys are the victims of the tornado.' And I didn't really want to be a victim, I wanted to be a survivor."
"And I just wanted to put up a message for people coming by saying, 'Hey, we're not just full of despair here," Bartow continues, "We survived, we're going to press on and rebuild our lives."
There are notes about essentials, lists of names for loved ones to find about family members and even a select few signs that warrant an ironic laugh.
"Somebody said to me, you still have a sense of humor in all of this and I told him that's pretty much the only thing I haven't lost."
So, survivors like Tim Bartow will continue to press on to tomorrow, with reminders of the positives scrawled along the streets and sidewalks.
At any other time, tagging a home with spray paint would be a crime. But in the tornado destruction of Joplin, it's a way to communicate.
"I wanted to put something that people could come by and see that maybe would give them some encouragement," says Tim Bartow painting his home to send out a message of hope during hard times. "I kept hearing people saying, 'Oh, you guys are the victims of the tornado.' And I didn't really want to be a victim, I wanted to be a survivor."
"And I just wanted to put up a message for people coming by saying, 'Hey, we're not just full of despair here," Bartow continues, "We survived, we're going to press on and rebuild our lives."
There are notes about essentials, lists of names for loved ones to find about family members and even a select few signs that warrant an ironic laugh.
"Somebody said to me, you still have a sense of humor in all of this and I told him that's pretty much the only thing I haven't lost."
So, survivors like Tim Bartow will continue to press on to tomorrow, with reminders of the positives scrawled along the streets and sidewalks.
