How My Dad’s Homelessness Shaped My Perception of a ‘Home’
A home isn’t always made up of four walls
There are at least 553, 742 people without homes in the United States.
To this day, I often revisit a memory from when I was 8 years old — it comes to me like a vivid dream. I saw my dad living in the back of a vacant semi-trailer.
That was normal for me.
For as long as I have known him, he was homeless.
Growing up, he was never consistently in my life. My mom and him divorced before I was born as a result of his abusive behavior which was brought on by his addiction — alcoholism.
Homelessness was a big part of my childhood. At the time, I didn’t understand exactly what it meant to be homeless.
He had backpacks full of his personal belongings, a sleeping bag to sleep with, and a tent for shelter. What was the big deal?
However, after years of sitting in the backseat, pulled over on the side of the road, and seeing him emerge from wooded areas, I began to see what it means to have a ‘home.’
