Hard-Won Wisdom from 12 Years on the Streets
Life is a journey of becoming
As a successful business owner in 1980’s New York, Lee Stringer asked himself: “Is this it?”
That’s when his descent into homelessness began. He ended up living on the streets for 12 years.
Before he lost everything, Stringer had all the trappings of success. He’d achieved the title of Marketing Manager. He had his own office. He wore expensive suits.
Inside, he felt empty.
He Lived a Life of Quiet Desperation
“I could see this was supposed to be the arrive-all and end-all of existence,” Stringer reflects on his life before homelessness. He confesses: “I was living a life of quiet desperation.”
Amidst this quiet desperation, tragedy struck. A heart attack took the life of Stringer’s business partner. Then his father passed away. Shortly afterward, his brother died too.
“I was in depression,” Stringer says. He numbed his feelings. His life became work hard — play hard with plenty of late nights at the cocktail bar. When alcohol stopped masking the pain, he turned to cocaine. It was a revelation:
“With a line of cocaine, suddenly the whole of the 80’s made sense to me. I was down for the whole…
