I kinda lost my shit when my mom was released from prison early. You would think everyone would be excited. I was not. I was a junior in college and struggling. So fucking great. One more thing to deal with. So fuck it quit life. Dropped out of school.
Sold my computer and VCR and CRT TV and bought a sleeping bag and a ticket to Eugene. I told noboby. I just vanished. Looking back this was a really fucked up thing to do.
So I just hung around the river with the fellow homeless for a few months. It was during the winter and was cold but doable.
Oregon is pretty good with food stamps. I got 154 a month for spending a hour in the office applying. That was enough to feed me. And more importantly, it was enough to prevent you from getting shot in the back if I was hungry. Food stamps don’t help the poor. They protect the affluent.
But through a weird turn of events my sister found me and literally dragged me by my hair into her SUV and made me live in her garage. Haircut, shave, shower, new shoes, new outfit for job hunting and I was employed a week later.