Have you ever been Homeless?

Really.When your parents are cruel,it is not your fault.Crazy people just pick on you until you are no longer helpless,then it's fight or flight and sometimes you run away.

Being homeless back before the war was easier than now.Less pressure.There used to be rather abundance in the dumpsters behind the grocery stores.After I got back on my feet I still check the dumpsters for ripe produce,often better than what they sell.I still lick my plate and never waste food.I really think this country would be much better off if everyone had to be homeless for a year.There are some FINE people out there.

reply to post by trueforger


Actually that would be a decent idea or experiment. I remember in sociology class they had this guy who went homeless for 2 months for an experiment. He set up shop in the city and made a living selling old magazines and newpaper. He didn't work alone, he made friends with a lot of the other homeless folks and they would set up shop in different areas and when they finished with their day they would come together and see how much money they had and they would save most and go to some store and get some food.

Well anyway, he continued and when he came back he said it was such a humbiling experience and that he felt really different coming back into his money, which his dad was rich with power on. And he didn't use his dads money after that, he did eveyrthing on his own and he was a much better person. He got this idea, from watching a video were the guy did the same. It was cool.

Yes, I was homeless. I had been working a very marginal job and living in a rooming house. I lost the job, and had no savings. I had nowhere to go, so I was homeless, just like that. Lucky for me, it was during the summer.

I wasn't out there long - not more than a month, tops, I'm pretty sure. But it was an education, that's for sure. People think you're out there because you're lazy or stupid or on drugs or drinking, but it's not always true. Lots of guys do drink or drug - seems like most of them may be doing that. But - they can't get the money for drink or drugs most of the time. A lot of the guys started abusing stuff *after* they hit the streets. It makes it easier.

And a whole *LOT* of those guys are veterans. They served in Vietnam or Gulf I, and got traumatized or whatever, lost it, and couldn't get any benefits from the VA to get them back on their feet. So they lost everything and wound up begging for change. Thanks to all our veterans for defending this country. Now get a job.

For me it wasn't too bad. I found a shelter that would take me in (it was summer, so they weren't crowded), and they helped me get cleaned up and look for work. It wasn't easy. You lose your self-confidence out there, and then it's hard to look someone in the eye and tell them you'd be a good man for the job. You're not really sure about it any more; you feel like you might be lying to them. And they pick it up and wonder...

But for those of you who don't know, the guys on the street aren't just "bums" and druggies or alkies. Many of them - maybe 1/3 of them - are soldiers we've let down. They're hurting and they need help - not just a dollar in their cup, but a kind word, too. Better yet, get your politicians to make sure the VA honors its obligations to our veterans.

As for the rest - well, until they're helped with their addiction or mental illness, they'll stay out there begging until they freeze to death one winter. They need help, too. No one belongs on the streets. Contrary to what people think, most of those guys don't want to be on the streets. They just prefer it to the dangerous, unsanitary "shelters" where they are often attacked, beaten, raped, and robbed. The streets, they feel, are safer than some of the shelters.

Yep. I left home at 15 because of EXTREMELY abusive parents. My GF and now wife left with me too because she was in the same situation. We also had a baby at a young age. It was REALLY hard but now we are in our 20s and life is GOOD!

Since I was homeless I've joined the marines (which I DON'T regret), I've been involved in gangs and drugs (which I DO regret). But ALL of that is behind me now and life is excellent I must say. I have a nice job, a condo, we are getting our own house within a year in a small town because we want out of crappy, ugly gang ridden industrial Oakland. It's not a nice place to raise a child. I support my wife and daughter fully, life is good!

It wasnt fun but to be honest all of that has made me a better and stronger person!



[edit on 27-7-2009 by jeasahtheseer]

I lived with my father for years and we would fight. Some days I would leave not sure where I would go. I finally got my own apartment and now have lived on my own for 4 years.
I have been close to homelessness myself. I can't live with my father because he was abusive. I am deathly allergic to my mom's and sisters cats so I could not go there. I was able to do a lot of creative thinking to make sure I had a roof over my head.
A few months a go I was going to be evicted from my apartment for the police being called to my apartment. The police were doing a welfare check to make sure I was ok. I was calling crisis lines because I had very severe depression. I was never able to get the help I needed.
My parent's were going to help pay for a hotel until I found an apartment. I finally I was able to convince my dad to co-lease an apartment for me. Without that I would have had no options.
I can see how homelessness can happen. Some people may not have family or have fallen through the system. I do not judge or blame others for being homeless. I am shocked when some people still see homelessness as the homeless fault.
This not an easy society to live in.

Originally posted by elarmstrongo
I was homeless for a three month period in the early 90's. I was lucky to have a car where I slept and kept my things. There was a sense of freedom to it but I am not sure I would do it again. I did meet some of the most loving and compassionate people in my life though.

I'm not sure I could handle sleeping in the car with all my stuff, small spaces n all

I do know what you mean about the feeling of freedom and know exactly where you're coming from. If it wasn't for the fact that it started getting colder and I was bored to tears, I very well might have stayed homeless even longer.

If any of you ever find yourselves homeless or in some of our cases find ourselves homeless again. I would recommend trying out a cemetery. Yes, the first night will probably be a sleepless one, it was for me. The advantages far outweigh the creepiness. I never saw one other person at night while I was there walking around. I was always afraid that I would get back there after work and my blankets and backpack containing my clothes and personal care items would be gone. They were always there. Even after the couple months I spent there was over and I had enough money to rent a studio apartment I would still go to that cemetery and walk around sometimes. I don't know why I did that. Maybe it was the quiet, maybe it was because of the peace I felt there, or maybe it was because I got a lot of thinking done there while I was walking around those many nights.

If you find yourself homeless the big yellow book comes in real handy. You can find out where shelters are,food banks, and soup kitchens. There are people out there that will give you food. There are some good people still in America.

Sometimes people's pride is what get's in the way of asking for something. You never have to steal food. I could even go to the back of a fast food place before they close and ask the manager for any leftovers they plan to throw away. You just tell them you have not eaten in 3 days.

You can also scope out dumpsters behind grocery stores. They throw away fruits and vegetables that have small blemishes on them. 10% of it maybe rotten while the other 90% is perfectly fine to eat.

If you do find yourself homeless be sure to have a good pocket knife with you.

Yes, I had to live in the streets for a year ten years ago...

It's not fun, but it made me learn a lot, and realize how meessed up it is that there are cities.

If I was in the woods, I'd have a great time!



[edit on 27-7-2009 by Time=Now]

reply to post by jeasahtheseer


Awesome. Sometimes you have to take the plunge and at the end of the tunnel their is light Good to hear that you and your wife have such a strong bond. Sometimes life needs to change and the only way to do that is starting over somewhere else.

Yes three times and all by choice.

The first two because I was vagabonding around the country so I gave up my apartment...the third time was to move someplace else to avoid becoming homeless where I was...my pride would not allow me to be homeless where I had lived for 20 years.

Originally posted by grover
The right? Have you not learned that the left & right are on the same team???

reply to post by canadamouse


The way your post looks, Myth is the one with a narrow minded opinion not based in reality.

Myth Lives has show an abundance of intelligence open mindedness and compassion on these boards since day one.

It is never as simple as the black and white picture you have in your mind.

Now that churches have been given the funding from the governments they make decissions based on greed.

I went to a church a couple of years ago for assistance with a utility. They told me no based on my income, that if they helped me now, I would only need help again next month.

I was Shredded!

It took a couple of months to pick up the pieces after my seperation, but I did. I am not some low life looser, but was treated as such in a vulnerable point in my life.

I always give to strangers in need, to friends and family and all of the abundance of my gardens. In winter to the poor in my community, and boxes of goods before bad weather to my older neighbors without their knowing it was me.

You have to know that people are different after prolonged periods of going without.

This country is going down, and you will find out real soon just how deep your friendships are in crisis.

Those you think will be there wont and visa versa.

[edit on 27-7-2009 by antar]

reply to post by getreadyalready


I was very ignorant to the programs that existed since I was a child. I realize now that there are a lot of programs even churches that will help someone that is in need. I donate to a lot of the places and give to anyone in need of anything. I know what it is like, so I pay it forward in hopes that someone else will be kind to someone in trouble.

As for you welcoming someone like me into your home, that is nice that you would allow a child into your home that needed a place to stay. I myself would help my kids friends if they were in the same situation. But I do know that there are people out there that wouldn't take on another child.

I was able to get past it all and better myself but I have seen a lot of children that were thrown out of their homes who still are lost in the system. Still on welfare and not doing much with their lives. Its a shame, really.

As for the men, well I have seen some of the men that go from shelter to shelter and live on the streets and work by bugging people to wash their windows of their cars and all that jazz. It does urk me but only because I really feel that they are just wasting their lives. There is so much more they could be doing with their lives. I know jobs are hard to come by but there are areas that are booming. In Canada right now out west has tons of jobs, there are tons of programs for schooling by the government. At least there is up here, so I imagine there is help in the states for schooling too.
Most women that are homeless are usually running away from abuse, but some have mental issues and really need help as well.
But either way there is help if someone wants it, but I disagree still that people don't get help because they are selfish, I think it is they are more afraid or to proud to ask for it. Sometimes people just want to get through by their own way. By living in cars, tents, etc. As long as they aren't harming anyone I don't see the harm in leaving them be until they chose to get help or accept help. Getting out of being a homeless person is easier then most think, it just takes time and a positive attitude.

reply to post by antar


Trust me I know it isn't black and white. And no I believe that Myth is on the same wave as I am. No one has to help you, it is there and it is great that there are some programs for people but no one still has to help you.

Also I know what it is like to be refused on income, my husband hurt his back 3 years ago and I was only working part-time. We were fighting WSIB but our bills were piling up, I contacted a social program and they refused us due to our income the previous year on our taxes. I was upset, I told them they were punishing me for working and taking care of ourselves in the past. I was thankful that my husband's family was able to help us out with lending us some money. (after all our credit cards were maxed with trying to stay afloat.) I finally got put on full-time at work and WSIB started paying (and then cut him off again a whole other fight) but if it hadn't been for his family ability to help us we would have been so screwed since the programs that are there to help the poor do not help the middle class.

One night, having moved 3000 miles away from family to start a life of my own at 22 years old, I got home from work at 11 PM to find all of my belongings in the street in plastic bags. My roommate had decided she didn't want me there any more. I was a clean-cut, hard-working young lady trying to get a career started (not a loser, a drinker, or on drugs). We had our issues, but she had never expressed a desire for me to move or given me a chance to make things right between us. I was completely blindsided by her action.

I spent one homeless night and I got a new place the next day. It was pretty scary though, so young, far from home, and sleeping in my car.

Ther was a time I was homeless, after I was dumped cold with very little and far away from home.
I never had a good relationship with my parents so I had nowhere to go. I really thought I'd just wander hoplessly and die but I found enlightment and the strenght to fight my way back up.

I also was homeless for almost a year in the mid 90's. Fortuantely I was raised in the southern US and know how to hunt and trap but mostly got food from dumpsters and unguarded landfills. I had no one to turn to other than myself as my pride would not allow me to seek out "help" from shelters or the government. I lost a lot of weight, which I needed to loose anyway, and eventually moved to South America by working odd jobs until I had enough money for a passport and airfare. I became an English teacher and lived frugally enough that eventually I was able to buy a small farm where I still live most of the time. It changed my life for the better and taught me the value of hard physical work and mental toughness. I do not recommend this sort of life to anyone as it is a lonely one but it made me appreciate kindness and the grace of God. I am much older now and I doubt I would survive the things that I had to go through again. No one in my current family knows of what I went through nor would I ever want them to know. I had to learn a new language and culture but I never gave up my honor or principles. I am generous with what I now have and my wife sometimes gets upset with me because of it. She will never understand what I went through and really no one ever will. Now it is only a distant experience and one that I would not wish upon anyone. It was hard and lonely but I never gave up. Peace to all and help anyone you can if your are able because you never know what may happen in your own life. "Edit for spelling.|

[edit on 7/27/2009 by Monteriano]

[edit on 7/27/2009 by Monteriano]

reply to post by getreadyalready


hey, i would count your blessings if i was you!!! seriously, there has been so many layoffs in the last 3 years that it still amazes me how frugal people are, but give it another year and i bet you will see good natured people on the streets, what then? lol come on man i believe you are in charge of your destiny ofcourse. but without financial friends as most people do not have, guess what! your on the streets, or your woman leaves you for a man that has a job. it has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with how you have lived your life, but who you know!! keep your friends close man, you might just need them soon!!!


and yes i have been homeless for like 3 months but always grabbed my manhood and kept trucking along, but then again i feel blessed as i am almost licensed in every trade there is!!!

Originally posted by antar
reply to post by canadamouse

 

I always give to strangers in need, to friends and family and all of the abundance of my gardens. In winter to the poor in my community, and boxes of goods before bad weather to my older neighbors without their knowing it was me. [edit on 27-7-2009 by antar]

Is there a giggle emote? My hubby and I were talking about being richer than god. He said he'd like to try it at least once. I told him he'd have to trade me in then because I would spend my time giving it away! LOL Its true. I feed the neighborhood with the produce from my garden and give away baked goods just cuz I like to cook. I clean out my closets, drawers, cabinets, garage and shed routinely and everything goes to local shelters or charities. The hubs likes to hold onto stuff for-ev-er but even he is getting the feel for giving things away. Cool. Ya never know.

I could care less about being rich except then I would be able to give even more than I do now.

reply to post by Hazelnut


Actually this has been happening a lot in my neighborhood. Their are a lot of eldery people around here and we bring them food, because their not rich and their old and cannot make a trip to the store, because the walking hurts them and we (in new orleans) do not have electrical shoping carts. So we go out and by them food and feed them. They enjoy it and it makes them happy, cannot ask for more