I like Tim. That may sound funny, since I wrote the book, but in many ways he became his own person—so to speak. In the course of writing I was also an observer waiting to see the direction of Tim’s life. Not quite like a Mom but more than a next door neighbor. When I think of Tim it’s less about appearance and more about who he is on the inside.

Last night as I was reading the first two chapters of the Bridge from OneDayBow I noticed some things about Tim that are worth noting. While Tim is very human, he is also a thinker. Like everyone else he can be caught up in the culture and want to play along, but he also questions the validity of the status quo. Not a defiant, “Question authority” mindset, but more a “don’t take everything at face value” attitude.

In chapter one Tim is quick to join in the fair-atmosphere but is suspicious about the importance of the tower and necessity of the bobbles. “How do they know it’s true?” Good question, Tim. He may have even thought, “What’s a bobble worth, really?” as he walked through the broken debris of once bright orbs. And when faced with the finest pile of bobbles that you have ever seen, and the lure of fame and fortune… okay, he did consider making them his own. But at what cost?

And what about that mysterious voice inside that advised him to tell the tempter “No”? Where did that come from? And why are the tempters willing to give something of highest value for his nooma? Or, as Tim wondered: “If it’s all about the bobbles, and bobbles bring the prize, why is my one nooma so important to these guys?” But remember something else: Tim knows a bobble’s appearance masks the emptiness inside.

It’s taken a while to cover some of the beginning basics of The Bridge from OneDayBow, but next week we move into chapter two and hear Tim’s perspective on what a bobble is really worth. As the new year begins you may be thinking about that yourself, so I hope you’ll continue with Tim on his journey.

And if you haven’t read chapter one of the book yet, be sure to check out the “Book Excerpt—Part One” at onedaybow.com and read it for free!