Robert's Story: Foundations

Summary

The speaker, one of ten children, recounts his journey from living in a cardboard box on the streets to finding sobriety and purpose. After 25 years in prison and a decade of homelessness, he stopped blaming others and took responsibility for his life. With five years of sobriety, he now volunteers with Swords to Plowshares, helping homeless veterans, and is determined to make a difference after graduation, using his education to assist those facing similar struggles.

Takeaways

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The speaker comes from a large family with 10 children.
• 🏚️ He is the only one among his siblings who has lived in an alley and slept in a cardboard box.
• 😡 At one point in his life, he was very angry, blaming society, his parents, and the system for his troubles.
• 🚔 He spent 25 years in the California state prison system.
• 🍷 Drugs and alcohol had taken control of his life, leading him to blame the government for his circumstances.
• 🏠 He was homeless for 10 years, during which he often felt anger toward others but realized he was actually angry at himself.
• 🌧️ A turning point came when his cardboard box home collapsed in the rain, prompting him to reconsider his life choices.
• 🙏 He took responsibility for his actions, stopped blaming others, and began the process of changing his life.
• 🎓 Now, he has five years of continuous sobriety, volunteers for Swords to Plowshares, and is attending school to help others in similar situations.
• 🎓 He is the only one among his siblings to have gone to college, using education to further his mission to assist others.

Q & A

What was the speaker's living condition before his life changed?

The speaker lived in an alley and slept in a cardboard box, being one of 10 children from a large family.

How long was the speaker incarcerated in the California state prison system?

The speaker spent 25 years in the California state prison system.

What were the speaker's initial reactions to his circumstances, such as homelessness and drug addiction?

Initially, the speaker blamed society, his parents, the government, and the system for his incarceration, drug addiction, and homelessness.

What event triggered a change in the speaker's perspective on his life?

A night when it rained heavily, causing the roof of his cardboard box to cave in and soaking his belongings, made the speaker question his life choices.

How did the speaker's attitude towards the people passing by his cardboard house change?

The speaker used to curse at people who passed by and looked down on him, but after a change in perspective, he stopped blaming others and started taking responsibility for his actions.

What steps did the speaker take to change his life after the realization?

The speaker stopped blaming others for his failures and started taking necessary steps to change his life, which included achieving continuous sobriety.

What is Swords to Plowshares and how is the speaker involved with it?

Swords to Plowshares is a substance abuse program for homeless veterans, and the speaker volunteers for it because he has personally experienced similar struggles.

How long has the speaker been sober continuously?

The speaker has achieved five years of continuous sobriety.

What is the speaker's educational goal and how does it relate to his past?

The speaker is attending school to get the tools to help others going through similar experiences as he did, and plans to continue helping people once he graduates.

What makes the speaker unique among his siblings?

The speaker is unique as he is the only one among his 10 siblings who has lived on the streets and also the only one who has gone to college.

What emotions did the speaker experience during his time of homelessness and how did they contribute to his transformation?

The speaker experienced anger and self-loathing during his time of homelessness, which eventually led to a moment of realization and self-acceptance that initiated his transformation.