IaMa former homeless man, who eventually found a good job and a wife AmA

How did you get back into the system after drifting?

I was actually sleeping one night in te woods close to a strip mine when a security guard found me. Turns out he owned the security company and he offered me a job.

Wait, you got to explain that more precisely. Was he like "Oh, you aren't supposed to be here, do you want a job?"

He heard something moving in the treeline so he went to check it out. He found me laying there and woke me up and asked if i wanted to come inside and warm up. I went with him and we talked until his shift was over and i told him my story and he asked if i would like to work for him and get my life back together....

Sounds like a really cool guy. It is also good to know you took your chance and made the best of it.

He was the greatest... He has been gone for almost 8 months now, he died in his sleep about 2 weeks after my wife got pregnant... So he will be missed dearly

My greatest regrets. Your life is movie worthy. So many feels.

It's not that movie worthy, but thanks for the feels...

everyones life is movie worthy... it is the greatest drama they know. glad that things worked out for you marine. hope your holiday season was excellent, and the new year brings you much more to be proud of.

You to friend , happy holidays

If it's a boy, and you are undecided on a name, will you name it after him?

I want to just because that old man meant the world to me and helped me out and gave me a chance when no one else would

Considering he was also the father of your wife and the reason you two met, I think you've got a great chance at her OK'ing the idea. Also, grats on everything.

Thanks and she already picked out the boys name, i got the girls name

how'd you meet your (now) wife?

She is actually the daughter of the great man who took me in and gave me work.

Kinda long story of how we got together though, im sure no one wants to read it.

I want to read it.

Well, here it goes then....

He found me and have me a job and let me stay at their house until i could get my own place. His wife and daughter was gone visiting their sick grandmother for a whole month so i didnt see her until after i had my own place and car. But anyways, me and him was at the office and i was about to leave to go to the job site and they walked in. I swear she had to be an angel come to earth, she was so beautiful and at the same time i was trying to hide the fact that i was kinda staring at her.

Then they leave and apparently he noticed me and said i would never have a chance with her, which i responded immediately with,"i didnt think so" and then he said "let me finish, you don't have a chance with her looking like that, go to work, go home, shave for once and clean up and come over for dinner..."

And then i was kind of in shock and he finished with, " i like you son, and honestly i would pick you over the past guys she has been with.. So come over tonight and ill find out what she thinks of you and tell you when you get there...

So that night i cleaned up, shaved, and put on some nice clothes and went over to his house... And as soon as i got through the door he told me that she asked her mom after they left if i was single..

So we talked alot that night and the next night we went to watch a movie at my place, ate some dinner and the rest is history

Double fist bump for a bad ass father in law

He was a great man and impacted my life alot

Wow, epic father to see through a homeless man's outer appearance and consider him worthy of seeing his daughter.

Yeah, he was a great man... We really were close ever since we met

that is one of the more awesome get together stories i have heard. thank you for sharing it with us.

Thank you for listening

Ultimate wing man father in law!

Yeah but ya know how sometimes at work you like to bitch or talk about great sex you had with your SO...... That never happened with us lol.

I love this. I agree with what someone above wrote. Could imagine and would watch a movie about your life. Possibly with Hilary Swank in a supporting role. Any screen-writing redditors in the house?

Congrats on getting your life back on track, and best wishes going forward!

Thanks for finding it interesting, i didnt think people would think it was

First off, congratulations on the twins, marry Christmas, thank you for serving us, and congratulations again on fixing your life! Your story is truly amazing! Think about it as a movie though. It all adds up. The character loving background, tragic event, downfall, the savior, the savior again with his daughter, the sad tragic event of his death, and the happy ending/reward for all of your efforts (and his) the twins! The Grandchildren!

The story writes itself! I really hope someone reads this and thinks the same thing who can make that happen. You deserve it!

Thank you, your story helped me more than you realize.

Im still breathing so the story isn't over yet lol. And im glad that i have helped you in some way by sharing this

He gave you a job and his daughter. Sounds like a life saver. You are very lucky to have had him in your life. This is an amazing story.

He is honestly the best man i could ever hope to meet in life

Have you ever considered writing a book? People eat this kind of stuff up.

Nah, to busy for stuff like that

What was the low point and the high point of your life so far?

Low point, thought about stealing 10 dollars off a kid

High point, my wife is due to have our kids on January 4th

kids

wait... Twins?

Yeah, they think its a boy and girl or two girls, they said they weren't really able to tell

name the boy after the guy who offered you a job, then you can tell him that he was named after the greatest man you ever met

That's my plan if i have a say in it lol, i think that is what my wife is going to do anyway

that's awesome, I just read that he is your wife's father. too bad your kids won't get to have a kick ass grandfather around :\

I know, i know that they would have loved him just as much as i do

I have boy/girl twins. Such a cool experience. Congrats.

It seems like it may get interesting at times lol

I'm the boy in the boy/girl twins dilemma, many interesting times to come haha

Ohh, i knew you were gonna be a little fucker lol

Congratulations! :D

Thank you :D

Do you believe that the skills you have learned in the Marines, combined with the street-smarts of being homeless will make you a powerful conqueror in a post-apocalyptic society?

My wife told me that if the world ever came to a post apocalyptic society that she has no doubt i would be king lol

Wow thats insane. To go from having literally nothing to having a wife and owning a business in just a few years, almost gives me hope my shitty life will improve, almost.

I would like to say i did it all to get here... But alot of it was luck

Sorry to hear about the homewrecker boss..But how large is your buisiness now? Do you have job security? (no pun intended) but like is it a flourishing buisiness?

We have contracts with about 3 big businesses, the local hospital and about 10 small businesses so i like to think it is flourishing

In a climate like this? I'd say you're doing very well!

We do alright, we pay our bills and always have food on the table.

I'm sorry, I just can't believe this. It seems to cliche rags to riches. But in the most sincere way possible, can we have proof?

I honestly have no idea how to prove this... Besides my stories of eating sandwiches out of the trash

how did you become homeless?

Walked in on my wife cheating on me... So i just kind of left and never came back. Had no family or friends left to take me in.

you didn't have old marine friends?

I really didnt want to own up to them that my wife cheated on me

Were they constantly telling you she was cheating on you, even before you knew?

Nope

Do you give money to homeless people now? Or are you more "why don't you get a job and not take my hard-earned money?"

I always donate clothes to the shelters. And if i see someone who is actually homeless and not just a panhandler i will usually give them money or ask if they wanna grab a bite to eat with me.

Is there any tried and true way to tell a panhandler from a homeless person? It feels like only 10% of people posing to be homeless are actually homeless.

Being homeless gives you a certain character that you can see in the eyes of people... We were individuals who did whatever it takes to survive ... Panhandlers also dont smell as bad lol

What was the strangest job/task you did for money? Also you're a real inspiration for managing to turn everything around!

Another homeless man who im pretty sure was crazy gave me the 10 bucks he found that day to watch his sandwich while he peed... He wanted me to make sure it wouldn't run away

So, did it??

It did not

so did you take over your boss'/father in laws company when he died?

Yeah he left it to me in his will

Yeah, he left it to me in his will

I'm curious. After you were taken in with the job of your now father-in law, was it a slow transition? did you still spend a while sleeping out? Did you have the urge to throw it all away?

It was a quick process, he gave me a place to stay, and i actually spent about a week sleeping on the floor because i couldnt gt comfortable in a bed... And i did actually get scared that i would get life on track and then lose it all again so i almost left in the middle of the night once within the first week of staying

[deleted]

Im happy someone can relate to what i meant... I was afraid no one would understand what i meant

And thank you and I hope your life is working out

Love your story. Please hire as many vets as you can.

I currently have 5 vets who work for me...

Where is your business out of?

Really dont wanna say, privacy issues ya know

I just wanted to say that I admire you.

Why? Lol, i spent years being what everyone looks upon as the scum of the earth

Scum of the earth? Anyone who thinks that is not someone I care to associate with. I take my son on weekends to feed the homeless and I think it helps keep life in perspective for him and me. Apathy is missing these days but it doesn't have to be that way if we got out there and spent more time with people than with screens. Anyway, Happy Holidays.

Happy holidays to you guys as well, and i know alot of people dont volunteer to help the homeless by volunteering in soup kitchens and shelters on weekends... They dont think they appreciate the help, but the homeless definitely do... And also i appreciate you and your son helping out on more than just holidays, they dont need help only on holidays it is a year round thing and can really change someone's life for the better...

But happy holidays to you and yours

What did you tell yourself to keep on going and not to give up?

I just kept telling myself that everything is going to get better with time. It was hard not to get depressed at times but i just kept pushing through it looking for a brighter day

Do homeless people get laid? If so, how often?

Lol if they are lucky and not very often

Im 20 years old and have been working at homeless shelters and detox since I was 16. Stories like this make all the hard work worth it. The amount of pain I have see while working sometimes gets me down. But it takes one success story and its all worth it. Thank you.

ps. have you stayed at any homeless shelters?

edit: spelling mistakes

Thanks for all your work you do with the homeless. And yes I've stayed in my fair share of shelters

Do you ever miss being homeless?

I miss the freedom and lack of responsibilities

Yeah I feel like that would be pretty awesome.

It was nice

Where i live i see some homeless people some times.

My question is, can you give some tip to understand if the person is some kind of addict on drugs or he is really asking money for survivability ?

How can a 20'ish yo person help someone that is on this situation ?

Did you felt lonely when you were homeless ?

How did you take a bath and those kind of necessities ?

Btw thank you for this AMA and your story is really nice. I hope there is more people like your 'boss' out there.

It's tricky to tell... And alot of the time they are homeless and on drugs or alcohol because they spent everything they had on their addiction before they became homeless so if someone wants money for an addiction.. Usually that late in the game they actually need it to survive

You could always volunteer at shelters and soup kitchens, sometimes a little help like that goes a long way

I was lonely at times, i always tried to keep myself entertained though

You just take a bath wherever and how ever you can... I've stolen a water bottle before and took a small shower with it

How were you perceived by people you met? Did you get the feeling they automatically assumed there was something "wrong" with you?

They always looked down on me or was afraid and went out of their way to stay away from me.

man that seems to happen to ALOT of military guys with their wives. Did your anger ever keep you going or did you have to let it go before you could really make it foward ?

After i left i kind of just let the anger slip away from me naturally... I really didnt hold onto it for more than a month or so... But when i finally let go i was able to help myself more mentally

What was the funniest thing you witnessed? What was the scarriest moment you were put in?

Another homeless man throwing food at the guy who gave it to him yelling " I DONT WANT YOUR CHARITY" and then he went into the soup kitchen.

This girl who ran away from her abusive husband and we eventually started traveling together. But anyways, she overdosed one night and died... I had no idea what to do, and thats when i also realized my morals are strong.

Oh wow sorry you had to be witness to that. What did you do? Were you using drugs at that time as well?

Well my street survival kicked in first and i went for the $100 bill she got that day... But it hit me that, that was wrong and you shouldn't do that to anyone especially a friend. So i left when i seen people coming that way. They called an ambulance and i stuck around in the crowd until they were gone... And i wasn't using drugs.

I applaud your morals. I don't think many homeless would have not gone for the 100 bucks.

I probably would have, but she was a dear friend of mine... And all the money we got we always shared for food, shelter etc. and it wouldn't feel right using the money without her there.

Have you been in contact with your ex-wife since?

Just to get our divorce finalized

Where were your family/parents during all of this? Why did you not receive/accept support from them?

Disowned me after i got married

Why did your parents dissown you? Hows ur relationship with them now?

They didnt like who i married, well mom didnt.. Dad wanted me to be happy but felt obligated to stand by moms feelings

And i havent talked to them in probably 9 years. They are recently divorced i heard and dad is trying to contact me to try and regain our relationship we had... I have his number just undecided on calling him or not

You should call. Your life is, in many ways, a testament to the goodness in people and to second chances.

Alright lol, after a few people saying to do it and a few PMs saying i should do it... You guys broke me.... I will call lol

They didnt like who i married, well mom didnt.. Dad wanted me to be happy but felt obligated to stand by moms feelings

And i havent talked to them in probably 9 years. They are recently divorced i heard and dad is trying to contact me to try and regain our relationship we had... I have his number just undecided on calling him or not

Ex Army here - why didn't you return to the USMC when you got back, or go full time reserve instead of drifting?

To be clear, I did not do either of those things, and I did do a bit of couch surfing until I got into a college and a dorm. But I think if I had nowhere else to be reenlisting with that bonus wouldn't be such a bad option.

Anyway, I am damn glad you got squared away and I hope you take care of yourself and others.

I was just tired of the military life honestly

Easy to get sick of that's sure.

Definitely

Did you meet a bunch of college educated homeless folks who just got their bachelors, masters, MD, etc and just snapped or couldn't keep it going?

Who was the most unlikely homeless person you ever met?

I can honestly say my worst fear is being homeless.

I met a guy who had a phD( dont know what in exactly) he got on drugs and that is how he ended up homeless..

The least likely person i met was this girl, if she was cleaned up she would be gorgeous... But she never cleaned herself up.

And being homeless is scary but it also can make you stronger

How can an average joe person tell if someone is like you and genuinely in need of a sandwich or some socks, or a beggar addicted to drugs?

It's generally in the way the look... They are usually bordering on starvation because they never eat and just use their drugs when they have money... I for one ate whatever i could.. And the addicts are usually more fidgety and wont look you in the eyes for more than a few seconds

The person who gave you that chance is more generous and trusting than me, and 99% of people, I'd say. I'm really happy you found someone like that in your time of need.

Was being homeless a frightening experience? You'd think you'd come across not just other drifters, but addicts and criminals as well.

Being homeless was frightening at times, i guy tried to rob me once and he actually was like what the fuck when all i had on me was a taco i was saving for that night... He took the taco and i have never forgave him because i wanna know how it tasted.

And you run across alot of drug addicts and criminals, but they always left me alone most of the time

What a humbling story to read, especially at this time of the year where people take so much for granted. Thanks for sharing this, your story is truely inspiring.

Thank you all for support and the questions,

Merry Christmas!

Since you were in the Marines, I would assume you were pretty fit when you left. How was your fitness affected when you were homeless? How is it now?

I was fit when i left, and me being homeless didnt help keep me fit.. I always tried to exercise on a daily basis atleast a little bit. Couldnt afford to burn to many carbs ya know.

And now im back to lifting weights and jogging so im in great shape once again

I read a bunch of you comments and in my head they were in a German, maybe Austrian accent. Do you have a German or Austrian accent?

Lol no, im a white male born in Tennessee

Congrats on getting life on track. Just wondered what you did during your time being homeless and how did you get food? Merry Christmas to you and your wife.

I did alot of reading and playing guitar until i had to sell it. And for food, i would just find what i could and eat it.. I've ate burritos out of the garbage before( it wasn't pleasant) and here and there some people would buy me food... Around November i liked to go south and do some bow hunting for food and merry christmas to you as well

What's the most fun you had (or funniest thing you saw) during that time period. (Not intending to make light of your homeless situation, but I'm assuming there were some bright spots along the way).

I was in LA and these 3 chicks asked me(while they were drunk) if they could perform a makeover on me... I sold out for a burger they promised

haha...can you describe in detail?

They wanted to dress me up and take me out for a night as their "fabulous hobo".... I went and we had drinks and then i got 4 Big Macs

Does your ex-wife know what ended up happening with you?

Do you know what ended up happening to your ex-wife?

Did you form any lasting bonds with anyone you met on the streets?

She knows i own a business now and i am married

She is pregnant for the 3rd time and addicted to heroin, still with the guy she cheated on me with

Not really

What would you eat?

Did you find anything that was really gross and just thought "hmm i'm hungry i'll eat that."

I ate different thing from trash, fine dining, fast food, or in the winter i liked to hunt a little.

And this one time i was sitting on the sidewalk hungry.. And i seen a sandwich on the ground.. Looked like it had been there for a day or two and the bread was a little moldy. But i was starving so i ate it... No room for pickiness when on the streets

What are some tips and tricks you learned while being homeless?

Sandwiches are always a treat if fresh , if you see someone throw food away after leaving a nice restraunt you really usually never have to worry about catching a disease. Fresh socks and underwear are godly after months without a shower. Wear boots in the winter, tennis shoes in the summer if possible

Being a marine in I am guessing Iraq what were your duties and were you involved in any firefights?

With all due respect to you, i got discharged and suffered from PTSD(still do) and i prefer not to talk about it if thats ok

I like your response. I have seen former military get pretty upset over this kind of question.

I used to get upset about it, but i have realized alot of people are just curious

What was the hardest part about being homeless?

Food was hard to come by at times

I want to know if you called you father and what did you guys talk about?

I called him, he said he wants to drive here in the morning and have breakfast