"So last Spring I stopped selling music on the streets after experiencing a
really bad skin infection. I lost my room uptown and had to move to
Yonkers, and then to Ellenville, N.Y., not far from the correctional
facility I had been released from, completely off of parole supervision 17
years ago. After Ellenville I moved to Fort Lee, New Jersey, with my pal
Ben and then to Queens.

After a long stint of boarding I had to surrender to the tide. I mean one
can only ride the wave for so long before being a washed onshore. Even if
like me, you've only been bed and couch-surfing, there comes a time where
any and everything subject to time and tide, comes to an end.

So I conceded finally, like a candidate after a hard fought, but lost
battle, and went and signed into a homeless shelter. I sobbed as I sat
there and waited to be processed (people and food are naturally better
un-processed).

Not that I hadn't felt shame before, but because I thought it all a thing
of the past. A man that is bound before he is done away with doesn't only
lament his eventuality, but his ineffectiveness. That was day one- I
thanked Jehovah God, and begged for his spirit to guide and protect me, and
then I slept, and slept well.

Day two: I thanked Him for waking me up and for the rebuilding that has
already begun now after my breakdown. I went and grabbed some of my things
from my old place to bring to my new place, and felt a freedom and fire
that not even the cold rain could deny or damper. I returned somewhat
triumphant back to the shelter and was tickled all day by the way the
caseworkers referred to us all as “clients” and shuffled many papers to be
signed, that combined seemed, ironically-at least to this homeless guy,
like we were buying houses."

Music

Words

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The #HomelessEntrepreneur team