Let’s start with some back-story.
I met my wife in 1988, around the time i was transitioning out of the US Army. About May, of 1989, we moved to good ole’ Ohio and began our life together. I got a good job with the post office, then as a truck driver…then as a machine operator for several years. We started going to church, bought a house, everything is going wonderfully. Then, we got a computer, and it all went down-hill. I paid less and less attention to her, until finally, fast forward to the middle of the year 2000, we sell the house and split. I took “my half” and went to Kentucky, she remained in Ohio.
After 6 months or so of partying, my money exausted, i crawled back to Ohio and took up residence with…her mother. Not in a relationship of course, she just sorta pitied me i guess and took me in (my wife had a boyfriend). Well, this went pretty good for a while. I worked, but sporadically. I managed to get a computer somehow, and discovered Everquest. Anyone that has played this game knows it’s addictive qualities and sure enough, i was hooked.
Eventually i stopped going to work, or did work with temp agencies, but nothing of any substance. Soon i stopped working altogether and found myself homeless. Oddly enough, this only lasted one night because an old man, lets call him “Carpet Man”, took me in. He had done some carpet work for my mother-in-law and had taken notice of my constant use of the computer. Well, he had mentioned going into a business together with me because of that and of course i was interested. That’s about the time my mother-in-law kicked me out and Carpet Man took me in, which was October of 2001.
So, for the past 18 months (round figures) i have been living in an office building. I eat regularly, have a place to sleep, internet access, a computer, and all i do in exchange is answer the phone basically. Nothing ever became of the business of course, because Carpet Man is a little leary about spending the money it takes to get it going. I don’t want to call him a “tight wad” because i do appreciate what he did by taking me in, but he is kinda. There will be no business, which i should have realized 14 months ago, but heck, why would i complain? Like i said, i don’t have to work. I can sit on the computer all day and night. I don’t get paid, but heck, i eat everyday and i don’t have any bills. Whee…what a life!
Well, it’s finally occurred to me that no, this isn’t a life at all. I am a big fat loser even! I have wasted the past 2 years or more! I want out of here, but i have a dilema. I live in a small town, 20 miles from the “Big Town” of Canton, Ohio. I know i can get some kind of help if i just get my butt up there, it’s just a matter of knowing where to start. I know it may involve sleeping on a bench for a night, or mabey not. I’m prepared to do that, either way.
What i want to know is, has anyone ever been homeless like that and gotten out of it? I plan to leave my nice comfortable abode sometime soon and basically “thrust” myself into this situation. I know if i don’t do something drastic like that, that i won’t do it at all. Canton seems to have all the agencies i would need to get a place to stay, and i’m sure i won’t starve to death, i just don’t know where to start.
I want to work, and get back on my feet and wake up from this fantasy land i’ve been living in most of all.