Hard Times
By Amber
@AmbiePam (85701)
United States
July 17, 2010 11:13am CST
My dad once lived in a pet motel. Yes, a pet motel. He was one of 16 kids (same mom and dad, no twins, one sister died at the age of 2 of pneumonia, and later one brother died in the line of duty as a police officer at the age of 28), and although he got a grant to go to college, he had to pay his way through the rest of it. He couldn't afford to live in the dorm, and he had no family nearby. But there was a pet motel across the street from his college at the time. He talked to the manager, and the manager agreed to "rent" him an empty closet. The closet was about as big as say, a gas station bathroom. So it wasn't big, but he could actually lay down on the floor and not have to bend himself (it was empty, nothing to sit or lie on). So every morning before class, he would go to the dorm room of one of his friends, and they would let him take a shower. After school, he went to work in a bakery. At midnight, back to the pet motel. Thankfully, on weekends he was able to drive 2 hours to stay with one of his brothers or sisters.
That's hard times to me. I don't know how he did it, or how people do it now days with so little, and also those with no government help. I mean even with government help, a lot of people barely scrape by.
Have you or someone else you know, ever had to resort to such extreme measures to get by before?
11 people like this
20 responses
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
17 Jul 10
Not that bad, but when we were young, my two brothers and I. all slept in one bed and there were mice in the apartment and at night they would come and they bit my younger brother.
I also saw the movie, The Pursuit of Happiness, and he had to sleep in subways bathrooms at times with his young son.
Yes, some people are having it hard!
2 people like this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
17 Jul 10
hi ambiepam well this is not a closet its a room 10 by 12 I imagine but to me its not like being in my own home which was a two bedroom apartment with my son. but it was either come here for now when I came here or stay out going from one homeless shelter to another one night after night and walking the streets as you could not stay thereduring the day. for a 83 year old woman with a bad let that walking was not easy, myson and I had been evicted and left homeless because he had been laid off as his company went under. As a diabetic this is not a good place for me as they do not try to have food that fits my needs at all, its just an retirement center,not a nursing home which so many mylotters assume. I did not come here because I wanted to or because of some dread malady, I literally had no other place to go,no relative and my friends were not all that better off but they helped as much as they could. I was used to setting my own sleep and rise hours, making my own meals, and buying my own groceries so to tell the truth its not all peaches and cream being here at all. I get a whole whopping big one hundred twenty five dollars left over from my social security check and Ssi checks after the admins takes out the monthly rent and board.Yet this is still better than being on the street and losing all human pride and dignity.
2 people like this
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
17 Jul 10
Hey there, AmbiePam...
We haven't lost our house..yet..but when/if we do, we still don't know where we will go. I mean, may have a place to stay in MN but not the whole family being there just isn't enough room and I won't be able to have my furbabies with me. Hubby and daughter could prolly stay with his brother here. Yeah, hard times can really be hard with some folks. I know here, there are 4 families living in a 7-bd. house cause 3 of them lost their homes cause of job-loss. 2 have found jobs but with meager wages. Not enough to even rent. I know there are plenty of other families that are moving back home or joining up with friends cause of this.
1 person likes this
@iwrite (5034)
• Singapore
18 Jul 10
AmbiePam
I am rather ashame to say that I took many times for granted, I have never had such misfortune as my parents ensure most of the things I need in life are taken care of. Being the eldest I also have the privilege of getting many new things.
When I read you story, I think of generation before me, of my generation, people are to pamper, to experience hardship. In fact I am looking at the generation after me, they call the strawberry generation where the bruise easily when knock. They cry throw tantrums when things do not go their way.
I hope they situation have improve for you an your family. and you would prosper and live well.
1 person likes this
@chona0912 (103)
•
18 Jul 10
i came from a third world country where many of the population are poor . I have seen many who cannot even have a decent food in their table. I considered it a blessing for someone who can get education in what you mention as extreme measures. I , for one does experience it . When I went to get my degree , my parents transferred from the city to the province , so i went to lived with my old widowed and poor grandma in the city. I was a working student in the school where I studied and everyday I only ate 1 full meal so that my allowance would allow me to survive for the next allowance . But the thing about it was that I was able to graduate and glad to remember what I did to where I am now , a college graduate.
1 person likes this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
18 Jul 10
The hardest we ever had it is when my mom got divorced and her,my little brother(6) and I(7) ended up sleeping in a car for a week during Christmas season..lucky that time we were living in Phoenix Arizona. We were able to get fruit to eat off of trees they had around and water from a outside fountain...then we ended up moving in with a friend of my moms for a little while staying with a few of them. till she got back on her feet..it was really tough on us kids..we slept in the floor most the time.
1 person likes this
@Grandmaof2 (7579)
• Canada
17 Jul 10
No doubt this was hard times for your dad, but I'll bet it made him a good man at the end of the day. I thank God I have never had to sleep on a bare floor but I too have seen some pretty scary financial days and I am still not well financially. My brother in law is not wanted by family he has mental disabilities and I do what I can toi help him and he pays half the rent good thing because all my disability pays me is 644.90. That's not a lot of money when you think about rent, utilities food and transportation. Finances are bad for a lot of people but I think we have learnt from it. Best Wishes.
1 person likes this
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
17 Jul 10
Not that extreme but raising three kids by myself was not picnic! There were times when I didn't know how I was going to feed them...but it seemed like everytime things got bad there was some sort of assistance in the mail....an overpayment to insurance or something like that....enough to get us through until the next paycheck....strange how things work out like that!
1 person likes this
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
17 Jul 10
Hi, AmbiePam. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us all!
This is has been an inspiration for me! I have had to stay at a motel for 6 months. I stayed at two different motels. It was very rough. My husband had to pay daily. And we also slept at our church for about a month on and off. We only did this, when he got low on funds to pay for a motel room. This was all last year. And it was very difficult. In order for me and family to bathe we had to rent a room. Sometimes we could not bathe for about two days. I even stayed at my in-laws home too. This was very rough as well. We had to sleep on the floor. Then about three months later we was able to get an airbed. I could not stand living in my in-laws home because it had so many roaches. Having hard times can be even if a person has government assistance. I have went though this difficult time when I had a little help. It still was rough. Your brother was a strong and faithful man. Many men could not suffer like he did. When there are children involved it is more difficult. I had all three of my kids with me when I stayed in a motel. It was very rough. We all stuck together at this hard time in our life. Your brother had no one that accompanied him and for that he deserves a great applaud for being a strong man that took care of his self!
This is has been an inspiration for me! I have had to stay at a motel for 6 months. I stayed at two different motels. It was very rough. My husband had to pay daily. And we also slept at our church for about a month on and off. We only did this, when he got low on funds to pay for a motel room. This was all last year. And it was very difficult. In order for me and family to bathe we had to rent a room. Sometimes we could not bathe for about two days. I even stayed at my in-laws home too. This was very rough as well. We had to sleep on the floor. Then about three months later we was able to get an airbed. I could not stand living in my in-laws home because it had so many roaches. Having hard times can be even if a person has government assistance. I have went though this difficult time when I had a little help. It still was rough. Your brother was a strong and faithful man. Many men could not suffer like he did. When there are children involved it is more difficult. I had all three of my kids with me when I stayed in a motel. It was very rough. We all stuck together at this hard time in our life. Your brother had no one that accompanied him and for that he deserves a great applaud for being a strong man that took care of his self!1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
18 Jul 10
Your dad is to be greatly admired for what he did. I have had some rough times over the years but nothing compared to what your dad went through. I know u are very proud of him as u should be. Happy Sunday to u, Ambie.
1 person likes this
@ET28LV (1890)
• Latvia
25 Jul 10
Hi Ambie
Sad to hear about your dad and other family members life. I think many people have the same problem sometimes government help, but sometimes not. I can't imagine how hard was your dad life, because I always have a roof above my head. Now too I have problems with food. It is hard to buy food with that salary what earns my mom and my father, but we always were over It.
Maybe our garden helps to us we make own vegetables and potatoes. There are days when we eat only rice, pasta, buckwheat, but when my parents get salary they buy something better. But, at the same time this expensive bills kill us. Thanks to God my parents have done with all credits. Now we need to pay each month Internet, electric, home, water etc. bills. This financial problems is throw many people outside for they own homes, because they can pay bills. Just imagine life to street every day need live to street. It is nice that there are left people who sometimes give few cents to this people. I hope all be well with us. God bless, Take care, Have a nice day!
@waterproofpaper (139)
• Philippines
19 Jul 10
Wow, he's really an inspiration to all of those people out there, he shows that he's dreams, goals and willingness to succeed is not going to be easily interfered with anything even the hard times he's on to. When I was on my first job in a factory the first month is also rough, because I've experienced to eat lunch beside the faucet while eating 2 pcs of bread, because my money can just take me back and forth, But the most hard time in my life was when I'm at grade 4, then my parents need to leave us so that they can work, I'm living with my grandma on the father side, then I used to work as a a water delivery boy just through a piece of bamboo on my shoulder carrying 2 pails of water on each side, and giving me 1 php for every pails. Then I have to wake up at 4 am so that I can do it before i go to school, and provide my brother a snack, I did those because my grandma didn't give us the money and everything that our parent sent us, she'd rather gave it to her favorite grandson. After school I go directly at the bakery owned by our neighbor and work as an assistant delivering bread house to house, It is my lifestyle for a year then my uncle stop working and just relied on my parents. At the age of 10, I feel like life is getting unfair for me, and I grow up not relying on anyone just by myself.
@chexmex12 (22)
• United States
19 Jul 10
When I was a little boy an Italy my parents did not have much money. In fact I lived on about a piece of bread a day and some water. Of course every once and a while we would trap or hunt something and we could at times have a decent meal. My home was in a little village called Balvano that was way up in the mountains. I will never forget the beautiful sight that I would see each day waking up in the morning. I believe that the beauty of the mountains is what kept me alive. In 1972 my parents took every penny that they had saved and moved us to America. Although the living situation in America was not much better for a while, eventually my father got a job at a bakery. He brought in enough money to keep us alive. When I was 15 i got a job as the local paperboy. I brought in 2 dollars a day. Although it did not seem like much it helped out a little bit. Today I own 3 car dealerships in the Chicagoland area. This really is the land of opportunity
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
18 Jul 10
Hi Ambie I agree that certainly was hard times
I know that everyone in those Days fell on hard times we think we have had it bad but we have luxury compared to those Days I do not have much but I am grateful for what I have got because we are so lucky compared to what your Dad and others had to go through
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157674)
• United States
18 Jul 10
Some of my brother's friends are camping by the lake in their town. Lost their house while she was sick. I know of a couple on another site, and I read that they are tent camping as well. I guess that is about as rough as it gets. I think your dad was rather resourceful.
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
18 Jul 10
Hi Ambie,
I've had to go to some extremes to survive but not a pet motel. Kudos to your dad/ I will say that when you are down and out ...survival skills do kick in and you realize that you can get by without things you once thought were necessities. When you are in that spot, you do what you gotta do. you just do.
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
17 Jul 10
That was very ingenious of your dad and I am sure he saved a lot doing that..
I think the hardest thing I saw was a friend who when she took her kids to McDonalds, they got only a hamburger and water, no soda or fries..Once my kids were with her and they didn't like not having a "happy meal" She also takes mac and cheese and says she doesn't use milk or butter, but water to make the cheese.
It was through her I saw how blessed we were, that we could be worse off..
I think the hardest thing I saw was a friend who when she took her kids to McDonalds, they got only a hamburger and water, no soda or fries..Once my kids were with her and they didn't like not having a "happy meal" She also takes mac and cheese and says she doesn't use milk or butter, but water to make the cheese.
It was through her I saw how blessed we were, that we could be worse off..1 person likes this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
17 Jul 10
Hi Amber! That is really quite a sad story about your dad
growing up like that, but it just goes to show you the kind
of character he had even way back then. I can't even imagine
how difficult his life must have been and yet he did what he
had to to survive by any means. That really tells alot about
a person and your dad must be one terrific guy! I know why
you think the world of him!
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
18 Jul 10
Wow that would have been tough! I am sure he has a great character because of the difficult times he lived through; I do believe that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and your dad is inspirational to have been so resourceful at a young age. I heard of a woman a while ago who had been living in her car with her three children while waiting for a government house; she was a single mum and had neither job nor money. I don’t remember how long the family lived in the car but I do recall her story ended up on a current affair programme which opened everyone’s eyes to how tough life can be for some. I recall eating rice with butter twice a day when I lived on my own for weeks because although I was employed I had one crisis after another which made me broke for what seemed a really long time, but I had it easy compared to your father, at least I had a roof over my head. Your father is a hero...
1 person likes this
