What it Takes to Begin Again

 

"When he became homeless, William Bryant established a set of rules. He would not urinate on buildings, nor in front of children. If adults passed by during the fact, he would do his best to stop; but from them he asked compassion. ... Other rules: Read for two hours a day. Take walks. Don’t loiter. No malt liquor, because it is a label, no flirting with women, because it would scare them, one gift a month, because bestowing enlarges the heart, and correct grammar. People listen to a man who speaks properly.
    These were William’s tenets. ... The rules made him feel civil and preserved his sense of purpose through his first months as a modern homeless man. William survived that first winter by will and by guile, and with a bit of money, and then he settled in and simply lived. He passed the next eleven years under Hickle Bridge in what he considered pure contentment. …"

 

Generally our society views homelessness as an affliction or a curse. It is something that happens when everything has gone wrong, the opposite of the American Dream of starting a family and owning your own home.

But William Bryant doesn't agree. He sees in homelessness liberation and empowerment, and he believes he has the know-how and the mindset to thrive out of doors permanently. And for more than a decade, he does thrive. We join him in his twelfth year.

This story was judged a finalist by author Jim Lynch for the 2011 Doug Fir Fiction Award, and has since been revised and refined. You may own it for two dollars by clicking below.**

Plus, in honor of this inaugural JATB Fiction release, you will also receive a special poetic treat: my ode to the Sun-Mar Excel composting toilet, "The Compost Throne." I find it quite moving.

 

• What it Takes to Begin Again— $2

  w/ bonus "The Compost Throne"

 

(upon completion of payment, make sure to click the link, "Return to..." to be taken to the story!)




**Full instructions:
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3. In the case of problems, e-mail me at cbradley@jesusandthebunny.com with your purchase confirmation number, and I'll send you the story myself!