My happy post - no longer homeless. LOL.
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Well, I'm actually still in a hotel room as I want for a landlord to approve me, but we're getting there.
I was blown up in Afghanistan in '03 and honorably discharged about a year later... Unfortunately, there was a government administrative error, and I was only honorably discharged. Not medically retired/disabled, as was supposed to happen. I had/still have quite a bit of shrapnel in me and a couple little medical quirks from my close encounter.
Anyway, long story short, I have reeeeaaally struggled since getting out and dealing with the process of getting a record fix. I was an infantry Sergeant for the 82nd Airborne and unfortunately not very skilled in the real-world, which is why I turned to internet marketing years ago from the public library and McDonald's wifi. Off and on homeless, really stuck in this pit that I just couldn't get out of, or would for a brief time, and then something else would fail and kick me back, like my car dying. God that was a b*tch.
So in December I received a nice retroactive payment for my retirement/disability monthly check, dating back to '04, and now receive the monthly support I have really needed to at least get back on my feet and into a position where I am supporting myself, and more importantly, my daughter.
So life has improved immensely. I was able to buy a car, a cheap and reliable one. After years of having almost nothing, I'm quite the cheapskate now.
It has overall been a good learning experience and I value the perspective it has given me.Only problem I am having now is finding housing. In the last seven years since being discharged, I've unfortunately had two evictions, and landlord are of course extremely wary of that. VA has really came together with letters of support the last week for me to help with the application process, basically explaining what happened, why the circumstances that caused those evictions don't exist for me any longer, etc.
Feel really lucky. Haven't really talked about it anywhere, to anyone, other than those closest to me...like my Mom and my daughter's Mom, haha. Bored/restless/insomnia at 4am in this hotel room, kinda figured I'd just share where no one really knows who the heck I am. I don't know why and hope it doesn't come across as bragging about a financial windfall (is that the term?). Believe me, after housing/credit report/daughter's savings, there isn't much more than average left.
But it's a world of weight gone.Hope you all are having a great week!
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@ne1up I'm glad you shared your story with us -- it's great to get all that out there, even if it's to a bunch of anonymous people on the internet.
Hope everything is on the up and up for you. From the sounds of it (and from what I hear about the VA from american political pundits), dealing with the VA is an exercise in and of itself.
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Thanks for sharing this story @ne1up I hope that life takes you upwards from this point on
It's always nice to hear more about people in our community, maybe we should start a "who are you / introduce yourself" thread
