Ron Hall’s life was centered around a successful career as an international art dealer. A wealthy entrepreneur, he traveled the world selling art to celebrities and collectors. He returned home each week to his picturesque ranch outside Fort Worth, his sports car and his closet full of Armani suits. All this changed as the result of an encounter with a giant, black, homeless man named ‘Suicide’ who burst into a shelter during a meal, screaming that he was going to kill everyone in the room.
Enter Denver Moore, the product of a life of modern-day slavery during the 1940s and ‘50s on a plantation in Louisiana. After his grandmother died in a house-fire, he escaped the plantation during the 1960s and hopped a train to Dallas. Untrusting and uneducated, Denver aka ‘Suicide,’ began a life of violent crime on the streets. He feared no one. He was angry at the world and living in a dumpster in downtown Fort Worth the evening he burst into the shelter.
It seemed unlikely that these two men would meet under normal circumstances but Hall’s wife, Deborah, was on a mission to make a difference for the homeless in their city. She persuaded Ron to join her in serving meals at the Union Gospel Mission shelter. She told him about a dream she had about a wise man who would help save the city. As the two were serving free meals that day, Deborah saw Denver in line and recognized him as the man in her dream. She was determined that the two of them would befriend him, even after his outburst.
For months Ron tried to make friends with Denver. He finally persuaded him to join him to help other homeless people in their shared city. Denver reminded him that helping people isn’t just serving them spaghetti on a plate in a line. They began to meet other people living on the streets and to slow down long enough to really listen to their stories. Denver and Ron learned many poignant lessons from one another along the way. The story unfolds in unexpected twists and turns.
When Deborah is diagnosed with cancer, she charges Ron with the mission of helping Denver save the city, as the man in her dream was meant to do. From this request, an extraordinary bond formed between Denver and Ron, changing them both forever. Denver became a trusted and admired part of the Hall family.
After Deborah’s death, Denver moved onto the property with Ron and they continued their journey to save the city in her honor. Denver went on to become an artist, selling hundreds of his original paintings. He became a singer and self-taught piano player, entertaining people with his down-home blues and gospel music. People came from everywhere to hear him tell his motivational story as he raised millions of dollars for homeless causes across America. In 2006, he was named Fort Worth’s Philanthropist of the Year for his work on behalf of the Union Gospel Mission.
A true story told in two very different voices, “Same Kind of Different as Me” weaves two diverse life experiences into one common journey. A story of pain and doubt turned into laughter, tears and success. In the end, an unexpected story of love and a lasting friendship.
(Jan Fitzhugh is a longtime leader in senior care and lobbyist for senior rights in Texas. She now spends her time in Wimberley as a leader in the art community. Always eager to connect and collaborate, she also volunteers for various nonprofit projects in Wimberley. [email protected] )
