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They’re in each neighborhood, these acquainted figures who’re woven into the general public surroundings. They’re the characters of our every day routines, and we anticipate them to be of their typical place — signaling normalcy, reliability, in our often-frazzled lives.
Mr. Breaux’s calling got here after a breakup with a girlfriend left him dejected. Looking for inspiration, he found activists like Karen Armstrong, the British creator and scholar on faith, who spoke about how compassion was inherent to peace.
He dived into the concept of selflessness, freely giving his belongings in Oakland and eschewing films, poker and video video games. A good friend in Davis, about 70 miles northeast, supplied him a spot to remain. He arrived within the spring of 2009.
Mr. Breaux’s submit was on a important thoroughfare lined with eating places, bars and retailers in a city that swells to about 100,000 when College of California, Davis, college students arrive every fall. It was close to the campus and throughout the road from Central Park, residence to the town’s beloved farmers’ market.
Amid a hub of vitality, he supplied calm. Anybody who requested about his day bought the identical response: “Peaceable.”
“I used to be all the time in a rush, operating a enterprise, parking the automobile, carrying stuff. And he was simply sitting there completely joyful and content material in life,” stated Yelena Ivashchenko, 49, the proprietor of a close-by consignment store. “It did have an effect on me — the reassurance that every part is OK.”