How Homelessness Changed My Life

How My Perceptions of Homelessness and Family Has Changed

Do you ever have the feeling that something is going to wrong before it happens? Me? I had that feeling. When? January 1, 2006. My sister was asleep. My mother was asleep. My brother...well, he was either sleep or not at home, which had become a norm for him
 gradually before any of us could realize it. I had just come back from a wonderful trip with my father, which was something I had never done and I was 20 years old at the time. My father and I'd had our confrontations when I was growing up, but to go on a trip with him was a dream come true. We had went from Milwaukee, WI, where I'm from, to California and from California to Brockport, NY. That was the closest that I'd had to true independence since dropping out of high school, which I would not advise. I had thought that getting my own library card almost a week after my 18th birthday was fun. I was definitely wrong.

Anyways, that's not the point to this story. The point is that as I sat across from my mother in the living room that we shared in our one bedroom apartment; I realized that since I'd been in such a high in 2005, things could only get worse. I think that I had actually almost started to cry because I had believed it so much. I told my mother about my theory about a week later and she told me not to think that way, because things had been going so well that far. I tried to be optimistic about it and granted; it had been going great so far. But it only got worse.

By April, my father'd had to leave another job because of his declining health and my brother, now 18, decided to take a stand and practically moved out. My sister was in so much debt, she was being threatened with her wages being garnished. My brother was now 18, so my mother wasn't getting anymore child support and she can't work, so she had no income. I was trying to complete my online high school, but I was now 21 and I couldn't register for anymore classes. The classes that I was in were either too hard or going to expire soon. Everything was so much different than it had been last year. Then, the hardest thing that I ever had to handle happened.

 
Comments 1 - 10 of 16 Next >>
Comments
Type in Your Comments Below

What happened to your true love? Justin?

Posted on 07/06/2008 at 8:07:14 PM

Sorry you had to go through all of that. I know 'how it is', although I was never fotunate enough to know of any of those resources. You should write an article on how one finds that needed help! (From 13 to 18, I only had different party houses to 'crash' at, making a bad situation even worse.) In the long run, you really learn to appreciate even the smallest things much more.

Posted on 02/21/2007 at 2:02:00 PM

Good story, but hard to follow in some parts. Probably should have let it sit for a couple of days and then edit. Other than that, glad you made it through the tough times. God has a way of making the best out of the worst if you let Him.

Posted on 02/21/2007 at 11:02:00 AM

If we are never tested we will never pass the test. If we never get the opportunity to pass the test we never make the grade. If we don't make the grade, ...we stay where we are. Sometimes that is failure too. You'll be fine. Micheal Jourdan said it is not about how many times you fall. It is about how many times you get up. Keep on keepin' on.

Posted on 02/21/2007 at 7:02:00 AM

while I am sorry about the events and the death of your father, the story did jump around and I was confused at several points.Still am, actually. I assume you are still young. Keep practising the basics and find your "voice". Godspeed.

Posted on 02/20/2007 at 5:02:00 PM

I have found that it is the bad stuff in our lives that mold us. Obviously, this is true with you. I'm just sorry you had to go through it in order to get where you are. It seems unfair and unnecessary, I'm sure.

Posted on 02/20/2007 at 12:02:00 PM

Why couldn't you mother work? It just says that she can't but not why.

Posted on 02/20/2007 at 11:02:00 AM

Inspirational. I hope things are picking up now.

Posted on 02/20/2007 at 10:02:00 AM

It must have been difficult to share this, but I agree that it is good that you did. Great work on keeping positive and crediting the people that helped you along the way.

Posted on 02/20/2007 at 2:02:00 AM

Now your on the front page!

Posted on 02/20/2007 at 12:02:00 AM

Comments 1 - 10 of 16 Next >>