Vendor Spotlight

Carl V. on working the city, a lifetime of fishing, and the value of a good challenge

BY JUSTIN WAGNER

Carl Voorhies has been a vendor with The Contributor since its inception — but he was born a fisherman in Columbia, Tenn.

“I love fishing,” he said. “I fish down there on the Cumberland a lot. I got two spots that I really dig, I hang out there. Fish, and you meet people there, too.”

His passion for the pastime hasn’t waned since childhood. If there’s one constant Carl expects to know all his life, it’s that.

“I guess I’ll take all that with me,” he chuckled.

Photo by Linda Bailey

For him, it’s not too unlike selling the newspaper, which he’s done on and off for as long as The Contributor has been around. It’s become another big part of his life, but when he started, it was simply something to keep him occupied.

“It gave me a purpose, you know? Headin’ out to work, selling papers, it gave me something to look forward to.”

He stuck with it because of the atmosphere of the work — as well as the people he encountered along the way.

Being a hub for tourism, not all spots are going to net you longterm friends. But you’ll meet people from all over the world, and learn a lot in the little time you know them, he said.

“You meet a lot of people; and you never meet a stranger in this game,” he said. “You meet a lot of people; some are good and try to help you, some are bad and just tell you to get a job.”

“It’s a big tourist city. So you meet somebody new, all from different parts. The people that you grew up around, you don’t hardly see them — but you see everyday people like you. Trying to survive here.”

Carl’s experiences are countless and endlessly varied after so long working the streets, but he said there’s something inspiring about seeing the city through such an unfiltered lens.

“You get good ideas — being out there selling the paper sometimes, you get good ideas. You want to be like somebody you see. Or you want to help somebody. You want to better yourself, that’s the most important thing.”

That inspiration is what pushes him to keep vending, keep fishing, and keep going in the city.

“I really like the challenge. I know I’m gonna make it one day. I’ll be the top seller. One day!”