169-173 Dixie Lodge 2010-2011

Out of the corners of the eyes of motorists driving by the old worn-out motel on the south side of downtown DeLand’s main street, an odd assemblage of characters who are mentally ill, stand sheepishly in a line, sometimes in bathrobes or pajamas, waiting for their meds to be dished out to them. This happens four times a day at Dixie Lodge. Attentive passersby often see these residents walk up and down the boulevard, to the gas station to buy a pack of cigarettes for a dollar or to the discount supermarket for a liter of cheap soda. The residents established their own social structure with relationships and dramas; all personalities seemed magnified and definitive, much like those of stage actors.