Warrior Road

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1

[BELL TOLLING]

WE'VE TALKED A LOT SO FAR

ABOUT THE NATURE

OF GOOD STORYTELLING,

BUT JUDGING FROM YOUR STORIES,

IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF YOU

ARE JUST FLAPPING

IN THE WIND:

WITHOUT A VOICE,

AN INSTRUMENT.

SO HOW DO WE CHANGE THAT?

I KNOW I RESPOND

TO SOMETHING MORE REAL.

MAYBE SOMETHING LIKE

A SPONTANEOUS OVERFLOW

OF EMOTION.

SPOKEN LIKE:

A TRUE ROMANTIC.

YOU GIVE ME:

TOO MUCH CREDIT.

NO, IF YOU'RE WRITING EMOTIONALLY,

YOU'RE WRITING SELFISHLY.

YOU'RE NOT CONNECTING

WITH YOUR AUDIENCE.

SO, READERS DON'T CONNEC TO A STORY WITH SOUL?

IS IT A WELL OUTLINED PLO YOU MOST RESPOND TO,

OR EMOTION THAT REFLECTS

YOUR OWN HUMAN EXPERIENCE?

WHAT MATTERS:

IS WHERE IT COMES FROM.

THAT IT COMES FROM YOU.

THAT'S RIGHT.

THAT IS RIGHT,

AND IN THAT WAY,

THE BEST MOMENTS OF WRITING

ARE INSTINCTIVE,

SHOWING WHO WE ARE,

AND WHAT IT IS:

WE'RE PROCESSING

FROM A PLACE EACH OUR OWN.

YOU UP FOR SHARING?

THE CHURCH WAS SMALL,

BUT STRONG,

RESTING ALONG THE LOW

COUNTRY BANKS:

WHERE MY FATHER:

ONCE PREACHED.

ON SUMMER MORNINGS

WE'D HAVE SUNDAY SCHOOL

ALONGSIDE:

THE COOLING CREEKS,

LISTENING:

TO BIBLE STORIES,

AND SINGING ABOU THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE.

I'D SOMETIMES SNEAK AWAY,

BRAVING THE GOLD AND GREEN

MARSH GRASS UP TO MY NECK,

SOFT SUN PEAKING THROUGH

PATCHES OF SPANISH MOSS,

HEAT AND LIGHT UPON MY FACE...

WHAT I IMAGINED GOD FELT LIKE.

BUT AS THE TIDES MOVED OUT,

THAT SUN SHRUNK AWAY

ON THE JOURNEY:

OF A SINGLE DAY.

HERE I COME AGAIN,

NOW, BABY

LIKE A DOG IN HEAT

TELL IT'S ME

BY THE CLAMOR, NOW, BABY

I LIKE TO TEAR UP

THE STREET:

NOW, I BEEN SMOKIN'

FOR SO LONG:

YA KNOW I'M HERE TO STAY

GOT YOU IN:

A STRANGLEHOLD, BABY

YOU BEST GE OUTTA MY WAY

THE ROAD I CRUISE

IS A B*TCH, NOW, BABY

YOU KNOW YOU CAN' TURN ME ROUND

AND IF A HOUSE:

GETS IN MY WAY, BABY

YA KNOW:

I'LL BURN IT DOWN

REMEMBER THE NIGH THAT YOU LEFT ME?

YOU PUT ME IN MY PLACE

GOT YOU IN:

A STRANGLEHOLD, BABY

YOU BETTER TRUS YOUR FATE

HEY, YOU BOYS WANT SOME OF

THIS WHILE I GOT IT OUT?

WHY DON'T YOU SHU THE HELL UP?

WHOO!

YOU READY?

KEEP YOUR PANTIES ON.

HEY!

PICK YOU UP AT 10?

YEAH.

YOU'LL BE THERE, RIGHT?

- YEAH.

- HMM, YEAH?

'CAUSE WE NEED YOU.

SH*T.

HE'D BEEN A FRIEND

SINCE SEVENTH GRADE.

BUT MY MOM RETURNED US TO THESE

WATERWAYS OF HER FAMILY.

I GOT CAUGHT CRYING

IN A HALLWAY,

AND HE CHASED THE OTHER

KIDS AWAY AS THEY LAUGHED.

BYE, JOSEPH! WHOO!

A WARRIOR:

SUDDENLY AT MY SIDE.

MOST OF THE TIME

I SHUT MYSELF OFF,

DRIFTING BACK:

INTO A DARK CLOUD,

A SLOW FALL.

THEY CALLED IT DEPRESSION

AND ASKED IF I WAS HAVING

THOUGHTS ABOUT SUICIDE.

I LIED AND SAID NO.

WHERE YOU BEEN?

NOWHERE.

ALLISON CALLED.

THEY SAID YOU SHOULD

BE THERE BY 8.

THE PAIN IS A CURSE

HANDED DOWN FROM MY FATHER...

LET'S REMEMBER, AS THE BREAD

NOURISHES OUR BODIES AND OUR MINDS,

LET IT NOURISH YOUR SOUL

AND YOUR FAITH.

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING

HE'D NEVER FIND.

BUT AT TIMES, THE PAIN EXPLODES

OUT OF MY MIND AND HAND.

A SWEET RELEASE.

- WHAT UP?

- NOTHING.

I BET YOU $1.99

YOU AIN'T GOT OFF

THAT DAMN COUCH ALL DAY.

A**HOLE.

- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

- NOTHING.

- WHAT DID YOU TAKE?

- IT'S NOTHING.

- DICK, GIVE IT BACK!

- [LAUGHING]

I'M GONNA KICK

YOUR ASS, HOWARD!

RIGHT.

YOU AIN'T GONNA DO SH*T.

[HOWARD YELPS]

I'VE GOT DREAMS

DREAMS TO REMEMBER

JOSEPH, COME IN.

DREAMS TO REMEMBER

YOU ALL KNOW JOSEPH,

CHARLIE'S LITTLE BROTHER.

YEAH, WHAT'S UP?

COME TO DRINK:

ALL OUR BEER AND SPLIT?

WHERE'S CHARLIE?

HE'S IN THE STUDY.

GO FIND HIM.

HE'S BEEN LOOKING FOR YA.

ALL I KNOW:

WALKED AWAY AND CRASHED

I'VE GOT DREAMS

QUITE THE CHARMER.

LET HIM BE.

- I'VE GOT DREAMS

- ROUGH DREAMS

DREAMS TO REMEMBER

THE ONLY THING:

THAT CONFUSES ME

IS HOW YOU GO AN INVITE TO MY PARTY.

JOSEPH.

HOW YOU DOIN', BUDDY?

I'M ALL RIGHT.

STAYING IN TROUBLE?

NO.

OH, BULLSHIT.

HEY, LET ME GO SAY HEY

TO SOME PEOPLE.

I'LL CATCH UP WITH YOU

IN A SEC, OKAY?

ALL RIGHT.

WHERE'S MY WIFE?

[JOSEPH]

CHARLIE WAS MY HALF BROTHER,

ABANDONED BY MY FATHER

WHEN HE WAS 10.

HE MADE GOOD:

BY BEING HIMSELF,

A WIDE SPACE:

BETWEEN HIM AND ME.

I STILL LOVE YOU ANYWAY

I DON'T WANT YOU

TO EVER LEAVE:

GIRL, YOU JUST SATISFY ME

THAT'S TRUE.

IT'S NOT... IT'S NOT BAD.

YOU SEEM TO HAVE ALL

THE ANSWERS, DON'T YOU?

I'M NOT SAYING I HAVE

ALL THE ANSWERS,

BUT WE'VE ALL HAD

THOSE MOMENTS THAT FEEL RIGHT,

WHERE WE FEEL LIKE

WE'RE AT OUR BEST,

WHERE WE'RE NOT BOGGED DOWN

WITH SELF DOUBT OR FEAR.

YOU KNOW, WHERE WE TRUS IN THE WORLD AROUND US.

- WHICH IS WHAT?

- FAITH.

STRIVING FOR SOME

SENSE OF HOPE, OF PEACE.

OKAY, THE EAGLE SOARING

THROUGH THE AIR ACHIEVES

BECAUSE OF THREE THINGS...

HIS WINGS, THE WIND,

AND HIS FAITH IN BOTH.

ALL RIGHT, OUR ROLE IS

TO ACCEPT THAT WHO WE ARE

IS ABSOLUTELY:

INTEGRAL TO THAT,

AND STOP FIGHTING AGAINS THIS CONCEPT OF OUR VALUE.

AND TO RECOGNIZE

THAT THE WORLD CANNOT BE

WHAT IT'S DETERMINED TO BE

WITHOUT US AS WE ARE.

WHAT DID YOU THINK, JOE?

I LIKED IT.

SEE THERE? THERE YOU GO.

YOUTH OF AMERICA LIKES IT.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[CHUCKLING]

[POUNDING AT DOOR]

[POUNDING CONTINUES]

YEAH?

WHAT THE HELL:

YOU DOING IN HERE?

NOTHING.

CAR'S IN MY WAY.

FINE. I HAD TO GE JAY ANYWAY.

YOU BEST GET TO CLEANING

THIS PLACE OU - LIKE I KEEP TELLING YOU.

- YEAH, WHATEVER.

WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY?

YOU LIVE HERE FOR FREE.

BARELY GOT OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL.

HELL, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE

A GODDAMN JOB.

YOU STARTIN' TO AMOUN TO JACK SH*T, YOU KNOW THAT?

I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU ALWAYS

GIVE ME SUCH A HARD TIME.

YOU DON'T KNOW

WHAT A HARD TIME IS.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

HOW IS YOUR MOM DOING?

- SHE'S OKAY.

- GOOD.

DO YOU WANT SOME OF THIS?

YEAH, SURE.

SO, ARE YOU STILL

THINKING ABOUT SCHOOL?

WHO SAID I WAS:

THINKING ABOUT SCHOOL?

CHARLIE.

YOU SHOULD, YOU KNOW?

YOU'D DO WELL.

TOOK MY DADDY:

FOR GRANTED:

YOU KNOW I PLAYED HIM

FOR A FOOL:

FOUND OUT LATER:

THAT I LOVE HIM SO

AFTER BREAKING LOVE'S

GOLDEN RULE:

I MAY BE WRONG,

BUT WE CAN GET ALONG

AND I'M GOING BACK

WHERE I BELONG:

YOU KNOW I'M GOING BACK

WHERE I BELONG:

I SAID I'M GOING BACK

MMM, I'M GOING BACK

WHERE I BELONG:

I WAS ALONE,

BUT I WOULD ON OCCASION

TAKE COMPANY IN OTHER FOLKS.

NOT THROUGH EASY CONVERSATION

OR EYE CONTACT.

INSTEAD, I'D MAKE UP

STORIES ABOUT THEM,

WHERE THEY CAME FROM,

BASED ON A SIDEWAYS GLANCE...

OR THAT NIGHT,

A LITTLE MORE.

HOW'S IT GOING?

ALL RIGHT.

YOU FROM AROUND HERE?

YEAH.

YOU?

NOT FAR.

YOUR DADDY A PREACHER?

YEAH.

YEAH.

YOU GOT THE HEAD

OF A PREACHER.

THEY WAY IT CURVES WIDE.

HMM.

THE HOLY SPIRIT...

IT LEFT ITS MARK ON YOU.

THE EYE OF GOD...

THERE.

YOU USE THAT SIGHT,

YOU'LL FIND YOUR WAY.

BEST GET TO IT.

I SAW SOMETHING THERE...

A LIGHT.

AN IDEA THAT WOULD LATER

LIVE AND BREATHE...

FORMING LIKE THE CRES OF A BREAKING WAVE.

A REFLECTION:

OF WHAT FLOATS INSIDE.

- FINALLY.

- HMM.

[CHUCKLING]

[COUGHING]

- EASY THERE, TIGER.

- MMM-MMM.

WE GOTTA GET READY SOON.

WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?

PAY ATTENTION...

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