Living Small: I thought the twins were rented

We walked into Burma one Sunday to explore, after border guards collected our passports and tossed them in a shoebox. In the nearby Burmese market these mothers followed us softly but relentlessly chanting "Please, mister, please mister, please mister." I was paralyzed. I still don't know for sure if it was right to pay them for this portrait, but that's what I did.

I imagined the twins might be rented for begging purposes until I processed the image and saw how much they resembled their mom.  These folks have not chosen to live small; they exist in bitter poverty and isolation because they must.



Even now this picture is painful to look at. It convicts me. How can I eat at a nice restaurant or buy good jeans with this image and memory in front of me?