Eddie Bryan

I was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and grew up on Long Island in Suffolk County. Got to the 11th grade in High School and was moved to Florida by my father's retirement.

I was very involved in politics wanting to end the draft and the war in Vietnam. I believed in desegregation, too. That was happening in Florida when I arrived.

Did well on the Florida Senior Placement Test scoring 431 out of a possible 498, I think it was. I had a good teacher and made good friends.

I went on to the University of Florida but I did not do well being distracted by my friends attending the community college. The next semester I went to the community college. I had won a steak dinner from a teacher there, sitting in on his class because my score equaled his on a test of critical thinking and reasoning.

I smoked. I started smoking when I came to Florida. Marlboros. Soon I was smoking pot as well. I was a regular chimney. 17. I didn't quit until I was 38.

I lost my virginity then, too, to a big fan of peace and Joan Baez and Bob Dylan.

That was a long time ago though.

Now I am homeless. My mother died 5 years ago. I never got much work having long hair and liberal attitudes. So mom supported me all these years. It is my shame say the know it alls. The old man died 20 years ago.

Since becoming homeless I have gotten more in touch with basic needs. I have returned to my meditation and chanting. I became involved in Siddha Yoga over the years starting in 1979. I finally got an intensive in 1991 at Christmas time. I took another at Easter and in June of that year I went to South Fallsburg, N.Y. to participate in Gurumayi's Birthday Intensive. But I fell away from that over the years getting somewhat involved with the Urantia Book study conferences.

I returned to school in 1999 and finished a one year certificate in Business Data Processing in 2001. I had a work/study job for 6 months and tried to find another after I quit it but I was unable to and haven't had work since. Explains my homelessness.

It was a couple of years after mom died that I had to sell the house and property where we lived in Florida to pay credit cards that I had been paying bills with. I had developed an affinity for satellite TV. We started with it in 1996 and went on until just last year when I had to give it all up. I watched all kinds of excellent film and outrageous trash including pornography through DirecTV and I enjoyed it