Being a Veteran was never easy for me. I lost the plot many times in my early 20s. Homelessness and Glad I kept it together!
In my life I have had a few tastes of being Homeless. One when I was about 10 years old (but I was lucky, only on the street a few days and the Salvation Army saved my chops) and a few times in life between homes.
I have more experienced “White Collar Homelessness” in the last few years. It wasn’t a lot of fun and at the time I didn’t tell anyone anything. Now that I have won with success, I don’t mind telling my story now. It totally sucked at times being kicked out of where I was living and my poor cat and I had nowhere to go. I found a great safe house for my cat, lived in my car for a short-while and it was tough – but not really!
Saying I was “Homeless” is a stretch compared to some people I have known and I can understand why. As Veteran myself, watching close friends get mortally wounded in gun-fights and almost once dying too – when I left the Government I was very “Sick” for a long-time.
I did my best to put it behind me and start living a normal life, but over-time I would have many Post Traumatic Stress Attacks. Sometimes I could barely keep it together in trying to lead a normal life and in the few times I have been “Homeless” it totally freaked me out. I saw this very scary image on the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Facebook Page. They are doing a great push to help get homeless Veteran’s off the street.
Obviously that is North America and even in Australia, there are quite a few homeless Veteran’s out there. I think the reason why some of us do end up on the streets is that after our Trauma’s we can lose our place in Society. That is, doing basic functions can sometimes be incredibly difficult. Keeping jobs, holding relationships together and the like has been hard for me at times and as a Vet – whenever I was homeless I would think “OH NO! I hope I don’t make the stereotype”.
Even though my life is rocking now, part of me deep-down is always scared about winding up on the Street Full-time. I think part of my most “Extreme Motivation” is this fear deep down – say losing my business, my money, my friendships, my relationships and winding up down and out in society. When I used to pay my rent with my Credit Card – this spectre always hung around with me.
My advice and lesson? Veteran or Not – I have known many awesome high earning people to wind up homeless. This can be though losing everything and having nowhere to go, being in a relationship and getting kicked out onto the street or even say Fire or Flood. I find that regardless of the reasoning, being “Homeless” does mess with your head and it is certainly not a lot of fun. So the cure? Work really hard, Save Up Money, Do your Friends heaps of favours and if it hits the fan one day – perhaps call in some favours!
Don’t get me wrong, I am all for abundance and positivity – but also reality too. If you have no money and no support – you will probably wind up on the street, so don’t make my mistakes awesome people – REAP HAY WHILE THE SUN STILL SHINES!
Thank you from Edward Zia! Marketing Mentor and NOT a Homeless Veteran (yay!)
2 Responses
Hi Ed, I understand some of the pain you would have gone through. John, my partner, now gone home, went through what you did from the Vietnam War Just before he passed away, he went to an ANZAC ceremony and his words were “I feel like I am now home.” It was very moving. Life will throw you lemons, you have made lemonade.
Keep up the good work. Cheers Noela
Thank you Noela! I totally appreciate your input and rather kind comments of you. That is so true and love your positive vibes! Keep up the fine work Noela!