Background-Homeless in Heaven

The next release in 2011 came out in May. It was part of another PAX group called Rich Man, Poor Man. We were going to feature a dichotomy between two men from totally different status and lifestyle, drawn together perhaps because of their differences instead of in spite of them or maybe both. Anyway, the title was the very first thing that came to me for this one. I had the theme or idea running through my mind--what could be farther apart than a homeless man and one who had an independent income and a comfortable life of ease?

I was living in Colorado Springs at the time, and yes, Eden, my fictitious town, was patterned after it in many respects. The Springs was having an issue with homeless people who were camping along the  several streams that run through town. Now and then when it got bitterly cold--and it does!--shelters would be opened and some would go but others did not. As I said when I spoke about Love is Snowblind, my Alaska musher's story, I don't do cold well and I really hated the times it got below zero and stayed there for several days. But, I thought, how much more terrible could it be if one one had no real shelter, no heated home with food and everything you needed at hand? That was scary!!

So all at once here came my homeless guy--big and thus able to take care of himself to a considerable degree even under severe conditions, but facing another winter coming on fast and dreading it. He strode out of the chilly mist and into my mind that day, and told me a few things--he was slow to open up but I knew I would have a story. Then my well off man appeared, a guy with a tender heart, a guy trying to find a purpose and direction since he did not have to work for a living. He stepped out of his SUV with a camera around his neck and an expensive down parka to shield him from the November chill. I was in his head in an instant and saw the scene through his eyes.

Wow, this was going to be a good story!! As usual, I tackled too big a tale for the space I was going to have to tell it and so a lot did not get covered; maybe I rushed things. Those are my most frequent reader and reviewer complaints but I did put my heart in this one, even a little more than I sometimes do! Anyway that is some background on this tale one that has been pretty popular.