The thought of becoming homeless is one that can terrify a person. Having no shelter, no modern conveniences is a very big deal to most people. Once you get past the initial rush of fear and really think about it though, there are some good things to be discovered and learned through the experience of being residentially challenged. Most are realizations that have been forgotten by the more recent generations even though our pioneer ancestors were very familiar with such basic concepts. Having spent the past ten years without a residence, I can personally attest to the amazing and frightening lessons to be learned on the street.

Money management is one of the most useful things to be learned through homelessness. When you make thirty dollars a week you either learn to go without or you learn to micro-manage your spending habits. I grew up middle-class so I already knew the merits of a good day’s labor, I just didn’t have a clue about being financially responsible. I learned very quickly how to get the absolute maximum return on each penny I earned even without the giant list of bills most Americans have such has rent/mortgage, car payments, utility bills just to name a few. Making sure I can eat each day, feed my dog each month and keep my clothes and tools clean and in good repair means that I literally have to budget my earnings in such a way that I am a grand total of forty dollars in debt and I’ve not owed anyone more than two hundred dollars in the past decade.

How to prioritize and keep those priorities straight is the second most important lesson I’ve gained. I don’t drink or use substances because I am very clear about what is important to me. The health and safety of my dog and myself comes before everything else. When I am miserable, I turn to my dog for comfort instead of getting drunk or high. I also have used my prioritizing to better my circumstances and gain tools which will turn around and give me a leg up in my daily work. I live within my means, not because I can’t borrow money or commit shady dealings but because I refuse to lower my expectations for myself. This was another lesson I failed to learn growing up, I was your typical wishy-washy teenager.

Watching the company I keep and the areas I put myself in has kept my record clean and my reputation shining. Many people get caught up with their neighbors or make friends with losers and end up falling short of their dreams. I don’t have that problem because I don’t associate with anyone who doesn’t share my mindset about life and my work ethic. I know many people who are homeless and have problems with alcoholism or addiction, I feel compassion for them and will share meals with them if I can afford to be charitable. I do not put myself into grey areas nor do I make a habit of hanging out with them. I have never forgotten the adage about a bad apple spoiling the barrel.

How many people in modern America know what the night wind smells like? Or how the night sky looks? Homelessness can be an opportunity to return to the primitive roots of humanity. Too many people end up on the street and give up, they lose sight of what is actually necessary to live a happy life and with rampant consumerism combining with a poor economy staying the course can be unbelievably difficult. I choose to get up each morning, drop my dog off at the pet-sitter’s and go to work. I choose to sleep in the woods and grow a garden and I choose to live a clean life in sobriety. Not having a legal residence doesn’t mean anything more than the fact that I cannot afford rent or a mortgage. I can wash clothes in a creek, bathe in a stock tank and blend in with common society better than quite a few people I know who own their home and a vehicle and work a nine to five job. Being homeless has taught me to take joy in simple things and I wouldn’t trade the past ten years for any mansion in the world. After all; it’s not what you have that makes you.