IN THIS WEEK'S LIFE STORY,
ANGELA DAVIS EXPLAINS HOW TODD
WAS ABLE TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH
BETWEEN HIS TWO PASSIONS.
Reporter: HE HAD A LOT TO BE
PROUD OF, A COMFORTABLE HOME, A
WIFE WHO WAS ALSO HIS BUSINESS
PARTNER AT THEIR ADVERTISING
AGENCY AND TWO KIDS WHO GREW UP
TO HAVE SUCCESSFUL CAREERS.
TODD ALSO HAD A SECOND FAMILY,
THE MEN AND WOMEN HE BEFRIENDED
AS HE ROAMED THE COUNTRY ON
FREIGHT TRAINS.
HE WOULD TAKE OFF EVERY
YEAR.
HE TRAVELED 40 YEARS EVERY
SINGLE SUMMER, AND IT WOULD BE
ANYWHERE FROM FOUR WEEKS TO
EIGHT WEEKS.
THIS IS A WINTER COAT.
Reporter: HIS WIFE SAYS EACH
SUMMER TODD WOULD GRAB A
CHERISHED COAT AND A SPECIAL
BAG, LEAVE HIS CASH, CREDIT
CARDS AND CELL PHONE BEHIND AND
HEAD FOR THE RAIL YARDS TO HOP
ON A TRAIN.
I THINK WHAT HE MOST ENJOYED
WAS THE FREEDOM.
RIDING ON THE FREIGHT TRAINS
AND TRAVELING THAT WAY.
I MEAN, HE ALWAYS SAID YOU
CAN'T BE LATE, BECAUSE THERE'S
NO PLACE YOU NEED TO BE.
YOU CAN'T GET LOST, BECAUSE YOU
HAVE NOWHERE TO BE.
Reporter: THEY MET IN THE
LATE '70S WHEN THEY WERE
COWORKERS.
IN THE ADVERTISING WORLD, WE
ALL TALK ABOUT THINKING OUTSIDE
THE BOX.
TODD WAS NOWHERE EVEN NEAR THE
BOX.
HE WOULD HAVE ALL THESE CRAZY,
OUTRAGEOUS IDEAS.
Reporter: IN THE 1980'S,
TODD CONVINCED HIS COWORKER TO
GIVE HIS HOBO TRAVELS A TRY.
INITIALLY HE WAS APPREHNSIVE.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GOING TO
LIKE THIS.
IT TOOK THREE HOURS, WE WERE
SOUTHBOUND ALONG THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER AS THE SUN
WAS SETTING AND I THOUGHT THIS
IS PRETTY MUCH FUN.
Reporter: AD MAN AS HE WAS
KNOWN AMONG HOBOS WAS A SKILLED
PHOTOGRAPHER.
HE DOCUMENTED THE EXPERIENCES
THAT SHAPED HIS PHILOSOPHY ON
LIFE.
BE FEARLESS, BE BRAVE, LIVE
LIFE TO ITS FULLEST.
Reporter: ANGELA DAVIS, WCCO
4 NEWS.
TODD WATERS WAS 69 YEARS OLD
WHEN HE DIED ON JULY 7th.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE JUMPING
ON TO PRAINS AND RIDING IN BOX
CARS IS CONSIDERED TRESPASSING.
OF COURSE, IT'S ALSO DANGEROUS.
