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.

Outlines

00:00

🏚️ Homelessness and Transformation

The speaker, one of ten children from a large family, recounts his life on the streets, living in a cardboard box. Initially angry and blaming others for his circumstances, including his 25-year incarceration, drug addiction, and homelessness, he eventually experiences a turning point during a rainstorm. This leads to self-reflection and the realization that he can change his life. He stops blaming others, takes responsibility, and embarks on a journey of sobriety and volunteering with Swords to Plowshares, a program for homeless veterans. Despite his family background, he is the only one to attend college, with aspirations to continue helping others facing similar struggles post-graduation.

Keywords

💡Large family

A large family typically refers to a family with many children. In the context of the video, the speaker is one of ten children, which is indicative of a large family size. This concept is important as it sets the stage for understanding the speaker's background and the challenges faced in such a family setting.

💡Alley

An alley is a narrow street or passage between buildings. In the video, the speaker mentions living in an alley and sleeping in a cardboard box, which illustrates the extreme poverty and homelessness he experienced. The alley symbolizes the harsh living conditions that are part of the speaker's past.

💡Incarceration

Incarceration refers to the act of confining someone in prison. The speaker talks about spending 25 years in the California state prison system, which is a significant part of his life story and a major turning point that led to his anger and self-blame.

💡Blame

To blame is to attribute responsibility or fault for something. The speaker initially blames society, his parents, and the government for his problems, including his incarceration and homelessness. This keyword is central to understanding the speaker's initial mindset and his journey towards self-acceptance and change.

💡Drugs and alcohol

Drugs and alcohol are substances that can lead to addiction and negative life consequences. The speaker mentions that they took control of him, contributing to his incarceration and homelessness. This keyword highlights the destructive impact of substance abuse on the speaker's life.

💡Homelessness

Homelessness is the condition of having no home or permanent residence. The speaker was homeless for ten years, which is a critical aspect of his story. It underscores the severity of his situation and the challenges he faced in his life.

💡Sobriety

Sobriety refers to the state of not consuming alcohol or drugs. The speaker mentions achieving five years of continuous sobriety, which is a significant milestone in his recovery and personal transformation. It represents his commitment to change and a healthier lifestyle.

💡Swords to Plowshares

Swords to Plowshares is a substance abuse program for homeless veterans. The speaker volunteers for this program, which is a way for him to give back and help others who have experienced similar struggles. It shows his dedication to helping others and his understanding of the issues faced by veterans.

💡Veterans

Veterans are individuals who have served in the military. The speaker identifies with veterans as he too has served his country. This keyword is important as it connects the speaker's personal experiences with broader societal issues affecting veterans.

💡College

College refers to an institution of higher learning that grants degrees. The speaker mentions going to college, which is a significant achievement considering his background. It represents his determination to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness through education.

💡Responsibility

Responsibility is the state or fact of being accountable or having control over something. The speaker talks about taking responsibility for his actions, which marks a pivotal moment in his life. It signifies his shift from blaming others to owning his mistakes and making positive changes.

Highlights

The speaker comes from a large family and is the only one of 10 children who lived in an alley and slept in a cardboard box.

The speaker admits to being very angry at one point in life, especially during the 25 years spent in the California state prison system.

The speaker initially blamed everything from society to parents for the incarceration.

Drugs and alcohol took control of the speaker's life, leading to blaming the government for allowing drugs to enter the neighborhood.

The speaker was homeless for 10 years and blamed the system for the situation.

The speaker would get angry at people who passed by the cardboard house and cursed them, though the real anger was directed at themselves.

One night, while sleeping in a cardboard box, the speaker's 'house' was destroyed by rain, leading to soaked blankets, clothes, and shoes.

In a moment of despair, the speaker realized they didn't have to live in such conditions and began questioning their life choices.

The speaker stopped blaming others for failures and started accepting responsibility for their actions.

The speaker began taking steps to change their life and now has five years of continuous sobriety.

The speaker volunteers for Swords to Plowshares, a substance abuse program for homeless veterans, because they understand the lasting wounds of serving in the military.

The speaker knows the pain of being stepped over on the sidewalk and digging through garbage cans for dinner.

The speaker came to school to gain tools to help others who are going through similar struggles.

The speaker is the only one of 10 children who lived on the streets, but also the only one who went to college.

The speaker aims to continue helping people after graduation, drawing from personal experience and knowledge.

Transcripts

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I come from a large family.

I'm the only one of 10 children who has lived in the alley

and slept in a cardboard box.

At one point in my life, I was a very angry man.

When I spent 25 years in California state prison system,

I blamed everything from society to my parents

for my incarceration.

When drugs and alcohol took control of me,

I blamed the government for allowing

the drugs to come into our neighborhood.

When I was homeless for 10 years, I blamed the system.

I'd get angry with people who passed by my cardboard house

and turned their nose up as if to say, you stink.

I'd curse them with the strongest profanity

I could think of.

But really, I was angry at myself.

One night as I was sleeping in my cardboard box,

it began to rain, and the roof of my house caved in.

My blankets, clothes, and shoes were soaked.

The wind was blowing so hard I thought

I would freeze to death.

I looked around me at all the people lying on the ground,

huddled together trying to stay dry and warm, and asked myself,

what am I doing here?

I don't know if I was crying or the rain was wetting my face,

but I realized I didn't have to live like that.

I stopped blaming people for my failures,

and started accepting responsibility for my actions.

I begin to take the necessary steps to change my life.

Today I have five years of continuous sobriety.

And I volunteer for Swords to Plowshares,

a substance abuse program for homeless veterans.

I do it because I too know what it

feels like to have served your country

and come home with wounds that last beyond the battlefield.

I know what it feels like to have

someone step over your body because you're

in the way on the sidewalk.

I know what it feels like to dig in a garbage can for dinner.

I came to school to get the tools to do something about it.

When I graduate, I'll keep helping

people who are going through the same thing that I went through.

Like I said, I come from a large family.

I may be the only one of 10 children who

have lived on the streets, but I am also

the only one who has gone to college.