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At first, I was lost\u2014shelters, sleeping behind dumpsters, and walking through life on dead-end streets. It felt like there was no way out of the spiral. But I got myself cleaned up just enough to land a job driving a cab, with the help of a social service agency. They let me use their phone number, and before long, I had a lifeline. I leased a cab for 12 hours, making just enough for fast food and saving whatever I could, stashing cash in a loose fence post in an alley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once my shift ended, I’d head to the local university by bus. I snuck into the gym to shower, passing as a student. I knew the campus routine well from my own college days, so no one asked too many questions. Afterward, I\u2019d grab a burger at the Student Union, then find a quiet corner of the library to sleep with my head down on a pile of books. The security guy only asked for my ID once, and when I said it was in my car, he let me off with a warning. I blended in enough to keep going unnoticed for weeks, but none of this would fly in today’s world of strict campus security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the library closed, I wandered the streets near the university, just another student hanging out\u2014until the bars closed, and I had to move on. I would make my way back to the cab company, nursing vending machine coffee until my next shift. I was getting closer to saving enough for an apartment when I met her, the girl who changed everything. She let me stay with her for a couple of months, and with a stable home, I got a better job, secured my own place, and finally started over. Thirty-three years later, we\u2019re still in touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-762.png\")
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