"You can't imagine how I feel."

Reporters hear that phrase a lot. And they sure ask about it a lot.

If I had a dollar for every time I have heard a journalist ask: "How do you feel right now."

So I've been there so many times ... I want to know ... and I want to try to convey feelings to readers ... but they say I can't.

Late last week, I was called to a homeless shelter in Merced. More beds were being made available.

In case you didn't read our latest City Council story on this Web site ... or didn't see my photos in the weekly newspaper ... city leaders and officials are trying their best to come up with a solution to the encampments that are growing along the city's canals and creeks and under the bridges and overpasses. The winter cold is pushing them for a solution.

So there I was at the shelter with my camera in hand.

And there he was in my frame. This guy.

He had a smile on his face as he sat on a cot that stood only inches above the floor.

He said his name was Enrique ... He said he just got to Merced ... didn't know the city ...

All he knew was that he just got out of prison.

He took the first bus out of Vacaville.

And he landed in Merced.

There was another homeless guy there with Enrique ... not smiling and not talking.

He had been on the Merced streets for who knows how long.

I took their picture the best I could. You can see them in this week's paper if you want.

But I have to be honest with you ... I can't imagine how they must feel.

A few days later ... while Obama took the oath ... I was in the living room of Laverene Brown ... a 70-year-old woman who had lived through segregation ... and had dreamed of a truly united America. Her story is featured on this site as well.

During the televised ceremony, she started to cry ... and then those words came again.

"You can't imagine how I feel right now."

Yea ... I know.

I can't.

I can try to grasp it ... a little ... I guess.

A day later ... I was at the Parent Resource Center ... part of the Challenged Family Network ... a place where parents of disabled children can go to find answers to tough questions.

Now ... I have wrote a lot in this space ... about my own daughter who lives with autism.

But here I was ... with my camera in hand ... trying to be the most understanding person as possible.

And in my frame were the most appreciative Latino family I have seen in a while ...

A strong but overwhelmed father ... a mother with a humble smile ... and their 7-year-old daughter who was quite curious about everything around her ... only ... she couldn't utter a single ... full ... word.

She was living with cerebral palsy ...

They didn't mind that I was taking a million photographs ... that I was in their daughter's face with my camera lens.

They welcomed the attention .. and quite frankly ... I think they were thinking about more serious issues as they waited for the speech therapist to arrive.

Now ... my daughter is about the same age as that little girl. And my daughter is non verbal.

Buy you know what?

I can't imagine what those parents must be thinking.

Having a child with cerebral palsy ... my God ... what is that like?

One of the great things a journalism career can give a person is a broad perspective of so many different lives and lifestyles.

A reporter will meet so many people ... and write about so many things ... and pursue so many different walks of life.

But does that really make us experts. Honestly ... I don't think it does ... not at all.

We use these great descriptive words ... try to find an angle.

Still .... What's it all for?

I guess what we really do is try to understand ... and try to share it.

And that's why communication ... and connection to the community ... and its people ... is so important.

So people can begin ... to try to understand.

Maybe if we only grasp a small part of all those lives ... maybe the difference would be great.

For all of us.

Well ...

That's pretty much all I have to say about that.

THIS WEEK'S BUMPER STICKER SIGHTING:

"Body Piercing Saved My Life" ... (with the image of Jesus Christ's hands nailed to the cross)

This bumper sticker was spotted on an SUV traveling down Santa Fe at the corner of Winton Way in Winton.