About 20 years ago, I lived in a big, beautiful old apartment building. Rent was a little more than I could afford, I’d just started a full time job and it was a struggle to pay the bills. It was a beautiful building, though, and I loved living there.
A woman two floors above me started a fire, unintentionally. I, along with 165 other people, became homeless ten days before Christmas.
The Red Cross helped us out, the community helped us out, my job helped me out, my family and friends helped me out, and I lived with my parents for three months until I found a new apartment.
It was a bit stressful living with my parents, with my stuff in the basement, in my temporary room, and dealing with tenants’ meetings and legal stuff and being displaced. However, I ended up in a cheaper apartment which was also nice, and I had a bit of money in the bank from three months rent free plus a class action lawsuit for various issues related to the fire. It was one of those very tough life experiences which shape who you are, and make you a stronger person.