Bad Decisions

I Never Thought I Would End up Homeless

But there I was

After my dad died, I sold his house; The house where my dad and my uncle and I had lived for eleven years. My uncle and I moved to a trailer park. My uncle had lived in apartments after his divorce and he didn’t want to live in another one.

It was all good, but only for a moment

We had a good system. Uncle Richard bought the weekly groceries and paid half the lot rent. I paid half the lot rent and the electric and cable bill.

Everything worked out until my uncle got sick. He wouldn’t tell me where the cancer was, but I did a Google search later. He had Pancreatic Cancer.

I thought it was a bug

It wasn’t long after uncle Richard’s health problems started. We were watching TV. It was the end of my work week as a security guard. I was in my uniform and putting on my shoes.

We were laughing and talking. I was in a good mood and feeling pretty good when it happened.

I did a stupid thing

Have you ever been drunk? I mean so drunk that the world was spinning so you could barely stand up? Imagine that feeling hitting you in a matter of minutes.

I did a stupid thing. I called off at the last minute and went to bed. I couldn’t sleep. Every time I got up to go to the toilet, I stumbled and fell.

We went to a Walk-In Clinic

The next morning, uncle Richard and I took our time and went to a walk-in clinic. The nurse there took my blood pressure and called 911.

I had a stroke. After three days in the hospital, I was released. I had to use a walker for several days until I got my legs back, and it was several weeks before I felt well enough to drive a car.

My uncle was dying

While I’m getting better, my uncle was getting worse. A month after my stroke. Uncle Richard had some test run. His body was producing too much Bilirubin.

He had to have a bag implanted to collect fluids. While he was in the hospital, I called my aunt in Denver. She got a flight and flew to Florida.

I still have nightmares

The Surgeon didn’t implant the bag correctly. We had to take him back to the Hospital so it could get fixed. We went to take him home the next day.

Uncle Richard was happy to be going home. He was laughing and talking. I was talking to him, looking him in the eyes, when he rolled his eyes and died in front of me.

I hadn’t cried in years, but I did that day

My aunt and I watched as the Doctors brought in the crash cart and worked hard to save him. A doctor stood next to me giving a blow-by-blow of what was going on.

Minutes later, my uncle, my best friend, was gone.

I hung in for almost a year

I lost my job. After my eviction, I was invited to stay with some people in Minneapolis. Things didn’t work out, and I ended up homeless.

There’s a lot more to it, but I don’t want to get sued or open old wounds. A combination of circumstances and bad decisions led to me being homeless, so the only one to blame is me.

Final Thought:

Don’t be afraid to get help if you need it and be aware enough to know when you are in trouble. I made some serious mistakes after my uncle passed away. I’m past the stage of beating myself up. I wish I would have made better decisions.

It might have worked out differently if I would have reached out for help, so don’t be afraid to get help. Check with social services and churches for any help they can give.