BTW member once homeless

I was invited to write a short piece on what it's like being homeless from a first hand perspective.  Compared to most people who fit the description of homeless, I had it pretty easy, all things considered.  I don't think for a moment that I had it nearly as rough as some people, who are still homeless, and didn't have the breaks I did or the caring people that helped them.

There's a huge difference between trying to imagine what it would be like to be homeless, and to actually be homeless.  For the majority of homeless people, there is no foreseeable end to their situation.  It's very easy to get discouraged and give up on life.  Homeless people aren't out there for just one night.  There is no light at the end of the tunnel.

I became homeless mostly because I was an overly proud, know-it-all teenager.  I had roughly $3000 in my bank account, so I thought I could live out on my own.  I didn't go get a car, or a job, or try to get an apartment.  I crashed with friends and blew my money on stupid things.  Less than two months later, I had no money (in fact my account was overdrawn) and had overstayed my welcome with friends.  So I inevitably ended up on the streets.  I was somewhat fortunate in that I found an old abandoned car in an overgrown field to sleep in, and it protected me somewhat from the rain and the cold (mostly the rain, I remember it being very cold regardless of being in the car or not).  I had quite a few old blankets that I had acquired (I honestly don't remember where I got them), and used it as a makeshift 'base' from which I would base my life.
   
    I would walk a few miles to a day-labor place, and hoped they had work for me.  I had an advantage in that I didn't 'look' homeless, just dirty.  I was a teenager, and for some reason people think of homeless people only as old men with beards and stocking caps, so it wasn't hard to convince them that I was just dirty from 'other jobs' that I had been on.  If I had work that day, I got to eat.  If there was no work for me, well, I'm not proud of it, and if you asked me I'll deny it up and down, but I went 'dumpster diving'.  One man's trash is another man's dinner.

What ended up getting me out of this hopeless cycle was the kindness of others and a little bit of luck.  I managed to save up enough to get a steady room, which lasted about a month; because I couldn't get to the jobs they wanted me at through day labor.  I ended up being able to go back to my parent's home for a few months and saved up enough to get a jeep before my pride once again got me on the streets.  Instead of letting myself go back into that same cycle I took a leap of faith and packed my jeep full of my things and drove to Buford, GA, right outside of Atlanta.  I had lived here in the past and knew people, and hoped my luck would be better here.

The day I got back I was invited to dinner with friends.  I met my girlfriend that night, and she helped me turn my life around.  She took care of me until I could find a job and a place to stay, and a few months later we moved in together in our first place.  She truly is the most amazing woman I've ever met, and if it weren't for her I'd likely still be out on the streets, without a job, car, or a place to live.

What I'm trying to convey is that, with even the smallest amount of help, you can affect a homeless person's life in an amazingly helpful way.  What seems like a little thing to you becomes a miracle to them.  Sometimes just acknowledging their existence can brighten their day.  I know for a fact that without the help of a caring person, I would still be homeless, living day-to-day trying t