Thomas A. Hutchings

Mendicus Thomas A. Hutchings

Mendicus: a Latin word typically referring to a member of the mendicant orders and one who lives by asking for alms. Whitman doesn?t ask for anything, except acceptance, understanding and compassion. He is a homeless veteran, unknowingly struggling with post-traumatic stress syndrome. He wanders the city streets in search of answers and his presence in a small town is seen, yet he is unseen. A year of his living hidden from the community is chronicled through the four seasons and it correlates to the seasons of his life as he recalls events that led to his homelessness. Mendicus is a story of awakening, kindness, compassion and understanding. It is also a story of one man?s unconscious struggle with the psychological effects of war.