Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Georgia 3 Life Lessons From a Homeless Vet
Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Rome, GA
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3 Life Lessons From a Homeless Vet

Al Shorey | March 20, 2015 | 845 views

During spring break, as I sat in the Greyhound station in Shreveport, La., I watched with interest as the police brought a man into the station and dropped him off. I thought to myself that this must be a real troublemaker if he got a police escort to the bus station. The man looked like he had been through a lot – his face tired, his hair long and his body thin.

I watched him as he meticulously packed his belongings into his backpack. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me and I asked if he had been in the military. Having served in the Army for over 20 years myself, I could tell that he was a military man because of the great care that he showed as he packed his items. He confirmed my suspicion by telling me that he had served in the Navy and introduced himself as Raymond.  

I soon learned that Raymond was wounded while serving in Iraq. He had scars on his arm and head to show the damage that a collapsing building can do to your body. After being treated for his wounds, he was discharged from the Navy because he could not physically continue to serve. At the time of his discharge, Raymond had a little money set aside to start his new life, but since he didn’t have enough time in service there was no pension and, at the time, he had not been approved for disability payments through the Veteran’s Administration (VA). His savings quickly dwindled and it didn’t take long before Raymond was homeless. Though he was homeless, he was not hopeless. He had visions of a brighter day and he continued to work with various caseworkers at the VA in hopes of getting some follow up medical care and perhaps a disability payment in the near future.

Raymond’s big break came earlier this year when he was told by a caseworker that if he could get to the VA Hospital in Dublin, Ga., then he could finally get some follow up medical problems taken care of (he continues to have headaches, vision problems and dental issues). In February, Raymond set out on foot to make the journey from Arizona to Georgia so that he could finally be treated. Being homeless, Raymond carried all of his earthly possessions with him in his backpack: some jeans, T-shirts, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, a small pillow and a one-man tent.

Our paths crossed in Shreveport after a benevolent police officer saw Raymond walking in the pouring rain in search of cover. After talking to him and checking out his story, the police officer bought him a bus ticket to Atlanta to get him closer to his final destination. Raymond and I shared the trip to Atlanta on the bus and I learned about his life struggles. He has no family to lean on or close friends to lend a helping hand. On a positive note, I learned that he had recently received a letter from the VA saying that the board had determined that his injuries were service connected and that he should start receiving a monthly disability payment on April 1. This possibility of a better future fueled Raymond to have a positive outlook despite his current situation. 

When we arrived in Atlanta on Friday, I offered to drive him to Dublin but he would not allow it. He wanted to spend a few days on his own before starting any medical treatments, so he wanted to hike and maybe take advantage of some rides from strangers along the way. I was able to take him to dinner and put him up in a hotel for the night before he made the final leg of his journey. Raymond carries a little rechargeable cell phone from Walmart and we exchanged phone numbers before I left so that I could keep in touch with him and see how his story would end.  

On Monday evening, Raymond called me to let me know that he had made it to Dublin. Upon checking in, he was told that they could not treat him there and that he never should made the journey in the first place. Disappointed with the news, Raymond had turned around and was already headed back to Arizona. He was calling me from Birmingham, Ala. I was extremely disappointed to hear the news and asked him to keep me posted on his progress back to Arizona.

On Tuesday night at 10 p.m., Raymond called again to report that he had made it all the way to Shreveport because of a ride from a nice man in a pick up truck. However, that same man had inadvertently driven off with Raymond’s backpack (and all that he owned) still in the back of the truck. Raymond waited by the highway for over two hours hoping that this person might realize that he still had his backpack and attempt to return it to him at the point that he had been dropped off but this was not to be.

I was heartbroken to picture this man that had been through so much already to be standing alone in the dark with nothing but the clothes on his back. But to Raymond, this was just another challenge to be dealt with. He said that he would find a place to sleep and he would be grateful if I could just help him replace his sleeping bag. My wife and I discussed the situation and decided to wire him enough money to replace his belongings the next morning. Raymond’s favorite place to shop is Walmart and so we sent him the money the next morning through their money system.

On Wednesday, Raymond called to say that he had picked up his money at Walmart and was able to get all new gear. He was very thankful for the help. He had no doubt that he would make it back home to Arizona now.

As I think about all that this man has gone through over the past week and how well he handles himself, I can’t help but be impressed by his resilience. There are lessons for all of us from this homeless veteran:

1. One becomes resilient by dealing with life’s challenges head on. Raymond is among the most resilient men that I’ve met but he wasn’t born that way. Life has thrown many challenges at him which he has had to deal with.    

2. Having faith in the prospect of a brighter future can go a long way in helping you through the struggles that you may be feeling today.

3. Persistence is a skill that you learn by taking on tough challenges – it’s not a habit that you are born with. Raymond has completed tasks through persistence that many of us would never think of undertaking in the first place.

At last report, Raymond was in Dallas, Texas, on his way back to Arizona. He is counting down the days until April 1 (the date that his VA disability is supposed to start). If the payments start, then this should mark the end of Raymond’s homeless days. I pray that this promise comes true but one thing I know for sure is that if this ends up being another broken promise, Raymond will be resilient and he will continue to chase that better future that he pictures in his mind.