text: December 1981 Many churches volunteer to help the homeless by doing soup kitchens on the weekend. In the city of Lakeland Florida where we lived, there was the Lakeland Council of Churches who coordinated this effect. Our church, the Church of the Christ volunteered but we were never called. Yet on the TV, the council was always looking for more churches to volunteer. One time they said just come on down. Well, our group did and was asked to leave. We were told we weren't wanted or needed. They never made that mistake again, saying to call first. What they really meant is only those that they deemed acceptable would be able to participate. The soup kitchen said they needed some people and I showed up. They were nice until I told them what church I attended. Then their demeanor changed from being nice to downright hostile. An older man started yelling at me telling me to leave immediately. He told others that they didn't need people like me at their soup kitchen. Some Christian this man was. I was in tears as I headed towards my car. I actually met Billie Grinds at the soup kitchen. He was homeless and had seen what had happened. Billie challenged them and was asked to leave before police were called. He left after asking them if Jesus would have turned our group away. They had no answer and ordered him to leave immediately and said that he would be arrested if he ever was seen at the soup kitchen again. He was accused of not being homeless and trying to abuse the system. This man seemed to know Billie saying that he was no good and was nothing by trouble. Good for nothing is what he said to him. Billie thanked him for the compliment and walked away. It wasn't difficult to figure this one out. We were outcasts in the Christian community because our belief system is different. No one would say this but it's the truth. I guess all the other churches don't have the exact beliefs but they aren't excluded from this. I will stop here as you get the general picture. Bill Grinds caught up with me and we talked as I stood by my car. I knew that our church took in homeless people and had a homeless shelter in town. As we talked, I sensed that he wasn't your typical homeless person or what you would think of as homeless. I knew that he hadn't had a meal. He had told me that he had stolen some sub sandwiches from Publix as he was hungry. I went into Publix and bought him some subs. I then took him to the shelter and went back to campus. I couldn't stop thinking about this guy. He was cute. A couple of weeks later, I went to the homeless shelter and found out that he had left shortly after he had arrived. I felt really bad and figured I would never see him again. At the time I was attending Church of the Christ college in Lakeland. Their headquarters were there as was the college. The college had about 1000 students. There were Churches of the Christ in Tampa, Miami and Jacksonville and of course the Orlando area including Lakeland which had the most members. The college that I attended even by standards of the day early 1980's was stricter than most college. No smoking, drinking or having sex outside of marriage. Of course no illegal drugs. We had to sign a pledge that we wouldn't do these things. Well, you know how that is. I saw Bill again in September when school started. He was playing in a rock band. He had gotten a house (I didn't know at first but figured it out). His home was outside the city limits of Lakeland (about 10 miles out) and it was in a more rural area. He didn't really have any neighbors. I also found out that he supplied those on campus with the alcohol (as stores in the area would report us for buying alcohol). Many in our college like to gamble, so they went to his home. He never sold any drugs but would turn a blind eye if people smoked marijuana. Hard drugs he wouldn't allow. He had a verbal agreement with the Student Council President. Nothing written down of course. He was good at avoiding detection or being on anyone's radar. The parties on his property never were out of control (most people would only have one or two drinks max) and no one drank heavily. He would buy the liquor at different stores, so no one noticed. Everyone chipped in for the alcohol. The parties at his home were about once a month. The student council President took the alcohol to his grandmother's home and hid it in the pantry. The grandmother was in a nursing home. One of the students lived in her home which was near the campus. I found out that he played at a bar in a rock band in Lakeland. He had a girlfriend and I was sad but oh well. Mid-September 1981 I was surprised when Billie called me. He asked me out on a date. Although the school was strict about matters relating to sex, it wasn't strict about dating. We could come and go freely without checking in but people would check up on us as the school knew who were dating. They wanted to know to preserve the reputation of the school. If you went away for the weekend, the school had to be notified as to why. He came and picked me up in the downtown area around 5:00 pm, Friday. Most people were gone. I was surprised that he was dressed up. I wasn't more dressy casual. He drove 45 miles to Kissimmee where we had dinner at the Kissimmee Steakhouse Grill. People didn't know him there but they knew him in Lakeland. I understood why as someone most likely would tell the school that we were dating. I always went to private school and was in my own world, so I didn't know him. Billie was one who challenged authority. I can't tell you how many times he was paddled by his teacher, by the principal and paddled by his parents. Nothing worked. In high school he got expelled for bringing a Playboy magazine to school. He never went back to school. When he was 17, he left home and basically hug out at bars. He slept wherever there was a bed. Sometimes he was homeless and slept outside. Was arrested as a juvenile for smoking marijuana twice and disorderly conduct twice for getting into a fight at the bar. I spend Halloween weekend with him. He pretended to be my father. Old Lady Wilson whose sharp mind had been declining agreed to the weekend away from campus. She forgot that my parents died shortly after I graduated from high school. My grandmother was in a nursing home. I had the house but couldn't bring Billie there. People would talk and tell the school. I went to church Sunday and no one knew. Billie dropped me off 4 blocks away but watched and made sure I made it to church. Oh, did I also say attendance at church was taken. I spent Thanksgiving with my grandmother at the nursing home. I felt sorry for Billie being alone but he couldn't come to the nursing home which was run by the church. On Black Friday we went to Tampa and had a blast. They had a battle of the bands and Billie was in one of the bands. It was really fun. I had several pictures taken with Billie. His band won which was great. There is more to come.