Pen and Ink drawing and of a Homeless man

A long time ago. I was homeless and just after a year from getting back from the Navy. I came back from the Navy, after my 4 years service, in Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi. I went home to Huntsville, Alabama, or at least lets say, from where I came. I was greeted exuberantly, by my parents and my younger brothers. But, I was within 3 days, sat down and told that things at home were not doing well and that I was needed to not play around and find work and a place to stay. The conversation drew more critical each day until at last in talking to my parents' next door neighbor, there was positions available within a mile at the "cotton mill" Lowe Mill. This company wove material out of raw cotton delivered by local farmers. The Building was over 70 years old at the time.
I remember working there to this day, even though it was decades ago. The late 1970's. But, the Mill was infiltrated by a Union to Unionize the workers. I rejected joining, but the Union members secretly sabataged my home and car so bad that I was forced to quit that job, and soon was looking at realizing the fact that I was fixing to be homeless. My parents were not happy and warned me to find a job.
Well, I couldn't and funds were getting low. I had a friend near downtown and got the okay to park in an alleyway and driveway off the alley all dirt not paved and full of weeds and unkempt trees and bushes. So, soon I had to sell parts off the car until finally the whole thing was gone. I stayed in a shed which was broken down and full of holes. The winter was the hardest. Finding food was terrible till I found a pizza hut nearby which was a good source of finding lots of pizza thrown away.
It was so hard to get off the streets. You couldn't get cleaned up to be presentable for a job interview. And you had no phone or address to call your own.
My parents found me after nearly 8 months and took me back, but it was only temporary. And soon, (oh yes) the three day limit occurred. So, I was told to pack up and get in the car. I wondered, where were we going? My two brothers rode in the back as well. We drove north into Tennessee and down terrible dirt roads until there was a camp. My parents went to the main building on the site and on the front porch was an older woman breast feeding a baby and topless. the man that came out was bearded and very calm and collected with a very soft spoken voice was accepting of my Dad explaining that I had no where to go. But, I being not asked nor told anything about this became irate. My brows furrowed and the man became very distraught. He said that he didn't think that I would fit in with his "family" that I had issues of anger. His family was about 100 to 150 men, women and children. I think it was a commune of some strange bunch.
So, angrily my dad screamed for me to get back in the car. He was furious, told me he had tried his best to solve my problems. He said further, I don't know what you are going to do, but you are NOT staying in MY house.
When I got back to my parents house, I explained to them, to let me use the phone and I will do something. I called a girlfriend up and told her that I needed to talk. She rode over, I explained all of this when she got to the house and picked me up. She was furious and said, "lets go to my moms in Cullman and we will see what we can do". So, her mom was so great and wonderful, she took me in and my girlfriend (who will stay anonymous) took me back to get what few things that I had been able to call my own.
What we found was shocking! She pulled up to the curb in front of my parents house and on the side of the curb, aside the driveway was all my stuff... and stuff from the attic, (I guess) toys and stuff I remembered. all piled up where the garbage cans were. She was mad and stopped up to the front door. My parents wouldn't answer and then the police pulled up. They advised us to get the stuff and leave. My friend and her mother couldn't believe what my parents had done.
What is worse, is realizing that my dad worked at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. He had gotten that job after NASA dumped him. I was a veteran and was able to get benefits to pay for going to college. I could have gotten a check every month for 4 years schooling at UAH. But, no, my parents wanted me away. So, I called my mothers mom, my grandmother and told her. She was outraged and understood how stubborn my parents were. She sent me a bus ticket and I went to stay with her and finally got started in college up in New York state near Niagara Falls, NY.
Point of this story is that I know that venuspcs who was one of the first people here on steemit almost a month ago was someone I looked up to and now to find out he is homeless. I say I understand. I know these are different times and one can have cameras, and speak to others on social networks, I know I didn't have that luxury back in the 1970's, but homeless is homeless, none the less. I just am telling this story to explain that other people have gone down this route and survived. I am praying for him to be able to ride this out and make it back to a comfort zone.

I am including this drawing that I did of a Hobo ceramic that my girlfriends mothers house years ago for an illustration for this true story of mine.