But he told me that most of the time he stayed on the boardwalk, facing the water, just the way we were sitting now even when it got cold, and he had to wear his newspapers after he read them. And I asked him why. Why didn't he go to one of the shelters? Why didn't he check himself into the hospital for detox? And he just stared out at the ocean and said, "Look at the view, young lady. Look at the view.

A Short Guide to a Happy Life