“reading allows me to forget my daily life, which is not always very rosy”, says a homeless man
You have surely seen it if you walk along the quays in Rouen. Maybe not, but for good reason. Mickaël always has his nose stuck in his books under the Boieldieu bridge. This homeless, ex-paramedic and civil servant has a real passion for reading. At 57, however, he is looking to write a new chapter in his life.
eyes between the lines
“People when they pass by, they often drop me books when I don’t ask them anything“, says Mickaël smiling. “Novels, philosophical books, serial killer, there is everything. I tell them give me time to finish what I have in stock, give me five minutes“, he continues “but if I refuse from time to time it’s mainly because I don’t want people to believe that I’m settling down. I didn’t choose this life“, adds Mickaël.
“I don’t want people to think I’m settling down” – Mickaël
At 57, this Norman began by losing his job. Then a divorcee. “Everything is linked, depression and then luckily I didn’t fall into alcohol and drugs. My drug is reading“, explains Mickaël Since. A few months, he is under the Boieldieu bridge, his eyes immersed in his books.Immersed in the author’s universe“.
Read “allows me to escape”
From a very young age, Mickaël has been keen on reading. Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt, Amélie Nothomb”she has a style of writing that I love”, describes Michael. “Reading for me allows me to escape, to enrich myself intellectually, it allows me to forget my daily life which is not always very rosy“, delivers Mickaël. “I don’t even hear the noise around me anymore, I’m in the reading, in what I read. Sometimes I don’t even realize that people are bringing me hot meals“, explains with a smile Mickaël.
But he would like to get out of this life”that he did not choose“as he says.”Finding accommodation, re-registering with a temp agency, finding a job to leave“, he explains.
If you want to contact him he can be reached at 06 74 79 21 24.