Have you ever been homeless?

homeless no, but i lived on the streets back in the 70's. we lived on chefs square shaped soups, which showed how a good soup should be... me and my mate had one each (5p each) and about half a loaf of bread. (7p).. we lived like that for 3 or 4 months... ducking diving dossing and skiving... and stealing fuel... we had a 3,3litre vauxhall Ventura.. its was a rocketship in its day... by night we were mooching, or racing, or planning where to go stealing more petrol...

looking back all i can say is at least we werent doing drugs... and the eightoes happened and i just stopped dossing, flogged the car, cut my hair and got a job... i should mention that i did all of this after we got out of jail... we were as the judge noted, "bang at it"...

at least i have some great memories, of wild nights, horsepower madness, and evading the police in high speed persuits... i also remember freezing, being constantly hungry or wet... and at one point we didnt see sunshine for months at a time... we'd wake about 3.30pm, and its already dark in the winter... we looked grey, we didnt see soap and water either...

when we got banged up it was the first hot shower id had in almost a year... and the first decent meal..

prison gave me a much needed respite. i slept for the first 3 weeks, waking to eat, and empty the bucket...

i came out in 82... a free man... i aint been back, and now i do social work in the community... and i talk to the kids. and i notice this, the kids, the wannabe gangsters, they treat their social workers woth utter contempt... so, i aked why? "they dont know sh..it that didnt come out of a book. (the kid was about 14)

would i do it all over? not a bloody chance... BUT, my past has made me who i am... would i change that? youre right, not a bloody chance.

oh and now, im 51, got a wife of 26 years, 4 kids and 2 grandkids... i have a degree in sociology and criminology... oh i may well be broke, but, compared to 30 years ago, i have riches beyone the dreams of avarice...

Not yet. But with the high prices of everything it could happen. Its a

scary thought. It should never have happened to you. This country

should not have any starvation and/or homeless. I wish you much luck

and good fortune in your future and mine too.

I was very close a few times. I'm not homeless but I play one on Yahoo Answers.

Yes, I was homeless over the christmas period about 14 years ago.

Not very nice at all.

i lived in a homeless shelter once for about 2 weeks.

Yes. For about a week too, then I ended up in a women's shelter for another month or so. I was 15.

I have never been homeless. As a rat there is always a hole I can call my home.

Yes and in the gutter so to speak.

I would not wish this on anyone.

Yes! I'd rather forget those times! ♥

no, what happened after the week was up? x