u/Fit-Rhubarb-7820

I’ve been homeless for 3 years now, and it’s literally going swimmingly well. I had a plan that I practiced for 17 years, in case this happened. I did everything right, and it still went wrong, because that’s just life. I’m quite fortunate and maybe even an anomaly.

What do I miss about being housed? I miss being able to leave my messy slept-in bed, and come back to it after a morning poop, on a day off. I miss having messy mid-done art on my desk. I miss watching tv on my huge screen tv-projector just cause there is a wall! I miss being able to pretend I’m a furry little animal in a hiding hole, in my bed room. I miss sleeping in. Bring a gf home and showing her my bed room, asking her if the lilac essential oil defuser bothers her, cause it’s my favorite scent ever. I miss being completely unhinged and ferally naked, and doing lewd things to myself in private. I miss thinking “who else has done things here, since this house is 120 years old?” I miss coming home first, from work, because I woke up earlier than dawn to go to work and got home before everyone else, who works normal hours.

Most of all, I miss being able to “get home” without biking up a steep wooded hillside, up and down trails, with my fully loaded light-weight bikepacking bike, and setting up my hammock stealth camping bed, in complete darkness without making as much as a peep, and living with the possibility of immediately taking it down and leaving the area, if I was to be discovered, randomly.

I also miss that people didn’t automatically assume that the only reason why I’m in hell, is because I deserved it, because I don’t have a stable home.

The thing that brings me the greatest of comforts, is the fact that I finally decided to learn to play the guitar!!!!

I bought myself the Martin backpacker guitar and I can actually take this with me, when I travel around all day. I usually play it 15-30 minutes, maybe 2-3 times a day, while I prepare and cook my food on my small portable cooking set up, anywhere I might find myself.

Rain, sleet, sun or shine, I’m usually pretty good about being well and doing everything to my best. I’m quite fortunate, really. I’ve even managed to commit to a lifestyle hobby that is a pleasure, which keeps the sorrow at bay! Now that’s winning at life!

You kinda have to be extroverted, living like this. People ask you “where are you traveling from?” Or “is that a rifle in the bag?” Or “how long have you been on the road for?” You get no introvert time.

I have this working hypothesis: that being displaced and homeless (in any shape way or form) is simultaneously/paradoxically the most dehumanizing and humanizing experience that a person can live through.

It’s dehumanizing because of the tool we call money (which is assigned to give value that is agreed upon, to materials and services) is stripped from our arsenal of tools. In this regard, God** **is much the same way, just for human beings… lacking either denotes a lessened value and a remarkably stark deference to deserving bad things. It’s dehumanizing because you are exiled.

It is also humanizing: you are stripped of the ability to commit to cooperation with your society, because you’re denied this ability to play along, and you have to figure it out, alone. Humans are quite remarkable at this, at being adaptable generalist tool users.

For me, it’s been 3 years: and I saw this as a possibility as a child, so I was able to commit years to figuring it out before I became homeless. Many people I’ve come across and even helped, haven’t been as lucky as I have. Even then, I’d compare this situation to being a deceased human being living as a ghost of a person.

What I specifically do: I use the BikePacking situation to hammock-stealth-camp in urban and rural areas, anywhere I can set up this entire nomadic situation inside a tree canopy. Often, I set up within an hour, and tear it down within an hour, and set up an hour after dusk and tear it down an hour before dawn. I still work. I still socialize. And people assume the worst of me because i somehow did something to “deserve” this.

I went to the Walmart and clackamas mall today. At the former location, after I left, I saw the security chase after a person who had shop lifted. We ended up at the same bus stop. We both got on the bus.

Literally, some stops after, two sheriff deputies pull the bus over and detain the person that shop lifted.

Sometimes, I’ve felt very unsafe on trimet buses, but mostly on the max and tram. (Edit: I meant streetcar, not tram here)

I do hope that we can all feel safer on trimet, and that the system of law and consequences can affect more than theft and property crime.

Last time I was on the trolly, it was night and it was mostly empty. A man of a certain type started air boxing behind me and with a long screw driver in one hand: which I saw because the glass paneling was black and acted like a mirror.
I nope’d out of there and quickly left the trolley.

The other day, someone asked me to explain something on my bike, which has a few ropes and knots, to work as a rack system.

I showed them and explained it, and it’s all been simplified through years of my own genius and hard work, working ropes is a talent of mine.

What impressed them even more, was that I tied a bunch of knots, untied them, and used my left hand only. They were shocked and didn’t know I’m a leftie! And said they couldn’t even do that with their right hand!

I was at the local food not bombs, and was resting. I was playing my guitar. A woman I know, and her husbands dog, came close. She was chatting with me. Her dog snuck behind me and stole/fished my half eaten focaçia bread out of my satchel, with was on the ground next to me :(

And then she snatched it from her dog, scolded the dog and offered it back to me :’(

She herself is annoyed by her husbands dog. I am
Also annoyed and she knows I’m dog averse.

I’ve been going hungry lately.

She didn’t offer anything in return, but maybe later she might.

I didn’t freak out, because sometimes, I really freak out.

Long story short, I was dealt a bad hand at life, at least politically. I live in exile, and am 31. I’m also a man, which makes this simultaneously difficult, but easier.

I’ve lived this way for 3 years. I planned this out for nearly 2 decades, so it’s been an easy time with living.

People have sought me out to ask and pick my brain for advice: I’m basically an engineer that can show you the way, or a wizard that can turn you into the animal of your choosing, or simply, someone who’s poetry should be headed.

I’ve tried my hardest to vlog about about this! How do I live well?! By living calmly!

I’m afraid, of doing this. I’m shy, and have had nefarious people come after me. Hell. Im an outlaw.

Part of me wants to work my own aesthetic sensibilities into the whole performance, because it’s easier to show than to tell, vlogging wise.

Do people still read contemporary prose in poetry? How can I show viewers, who are likely people a bit lost and barely questioning their fragile stability as housed-folk, that living well is born out of confidence, derived from
Competence? It’s very intimidating, and the allure to fake it till you make it, far too great for most people casually living their way.

Will people still watch and listen, even if it’s not visually an engaging short with goth girls in fishnets?

Basically, I’m poor and prefer “form follows function” so the status-symbols never appealed to me.

My nice Android phone (the 2021 Motorola stylus 5G) broke (screen) a few months ago. I had a spare phone: an iPhone 14, that I traded some Barter for it, with a friend: she didn’t want it because she couldn’t get it unlocked (ATT) and she didn’t want to spend big bucks with the service plans. I got it mostly for the camera.

Using it as a phone-computer is about as annoying as having to use a guess-based formula, when the equations to convert metric to imperial are patented and you simply cannot know the conversion, so you buy a fancy calculator that will only work with imperial measurement units: and everything you own is metric based.

And I’m losing momentum with my business, using this thing.

iPhones be damned.

I still think the platform iOS sucks.

I don’t have a choice, as this is the spare that I currently have, which I got for very cheap: solely to use it as a camera.

It’s literally annoying to use: it’s slowed down by memory issues, always pressuring me to buy iCloud storage, I can’t port info out of it with a cable and a non Apple computer, no matter what I do: and I have to use some stupid third party cloud server that’s a pain to sync.

Truly, it’s just a novelty status symbol, a toy. It’s not for people who prefer to use a smartphone as a computer, capable of doing actual work, on the go.

I just started re practicing the guitar.

I’m actually ambidextrous, but that’s because I was right handed, had a TBI, recovered and had that “maladaptive” type of recovery, and became left handed as well.

Musically, it seems my left hand is mute, very good at flowing, fast to block and deal out boxing punches, is way faster than my right hand, and it plays the melody of a tune. It can write but it lacks a good voice :( but give it some charcoal and it can draw something nice.

My right hand writes poetry, sings, listens to words, and really likes playing the drone or beat of music. It’s good at catching and throwing, when it’s meant to go harder.

So I’m mostly playing guitar right handed, but my left hand says something about desiring to train and pluck the strings.

I tried playing left handed and it gave me a head ache, probably because it was a novel experience and my hands were overly stimulating my brain with the whole “making good noise” goal of it, which I did make a decent set of noises on the guitar.

Hey! I have a lot of free time, mostly because my LLc makes enough money to live ok, but not quite enough to actually get a room or apartment to rent, and I’m willing to change that, but that’s gonna take me a year.

In the mean time, idle hands are the tool of the devil.

One joy dispels many griefs.

What are some simple cheap hobbies?

Visual art: I have some art supplies but I’m nomadic so I can only really carry my e-ink journal, draw on that, and later print and water color. I can’t bring my charcoal drawing kit or a mannequin to pose, etc :( and I’d like to buy a minimal size camera Lucida, eventually: since I do a lot of field botany drawings and wild life scenes. That’s about all I can do, considering I have to live nomadically.

For music: I grew up playing music, so I usually bring a smaller instrument with me: ocarina, harmonica, kalimba or my travel guitar. Right now, it’s the travel guitar, but it’s made me a target of petty theft, sometimes.

Electronics:

Does anyone have a recommendation for over the ear earphones that are oval shaped, cheaper but with a decent battery? I don’t want to spend on AirPods, because I dislike the iPhone and want to go back to Android. I listen to music, obviously, but these are also great for when I practice music and need to listen to the metronome :)

I don’t game, but I’d like to learn card games! Stuff like that…

What other hobbies could I do? MAGIC THE GATHERING is not a cheap hobby :<

There’s some
Parody of an Ice Spice song, and it’s about waking up and having a normal life. I first saw it as an animated viral
Parody with OG momo the cat, but I can’t find it!

I’ve been homeless for 3 years (Oregon) and it’s been incredibly easy. I foresaw this possibility when I was a child, and took the time to prepare. When it happened and I had to “let go” I watched the storm destroy my “ship” and stuck to the lifeboat. I was able to make a better “sea fairing vessel” and I can outrun storms and swells. I’m a very good “sailor” and you can “sail” the oceans alone….

I’m just a bit sad: I have experienced love. I was around 20 when I met my ex Lilly, and we trusted each other and had friendship, love and romance. That’s all I can ask for in a romantic relationship: trust, friendship, passion and shared priorities. I’ve found love since! But not since I’ve become a nomad.

I’m the sort of person (sigma, Scorpio/capricorn heavy astrology, some good fire signs and a Pisces moon) that you wouldn’t know is a writer. I write a lot, most often poetry now.

I miss having someone inspire me to romantic feelings, the sort that drive my art to a higher ledge of feelings.

I’m a fan of Ichiko Aoba, a Japanese poet turned singer and an amazing classical guitarist. Yes, the bar is so high it’s literally in Heaven next to the angels, though I have time on my hands to master the guitar ;) so I am…

But love? What shall inspire me? My life is always an adventure: but I want to go farther than I can, alone… I’m just going fast.. I want to go farther in living, but not alone! And I can’t go that far alone, I have to go with someone too!

It’s been very difficult to show this aspect
Of myself
To most people, probably because of several
Reasons.

1.) I’m an independent contractor, so I don’t have coworkers and I’m not a regular employee.
2.) a lot of people in my town are trendy but they’re rather superficial, because they still think bad things happen to bad people, which isn’t true.
3.) it’s hard to tell people something deep when they’re not always capable of understanding the basics of it, and worse yet if they misunderstand and gossip slander about that, and me.
4.) I’m very shy.. when I talk to pretty ladies showing interest in me, I feel self conscious about myself!

Hey! Does anyone know of a wood supply store where I could get a few board feet of specific wood
It’s for a simple wood project to be made with hand tools:

I need about 2board feet of something like:

Mahogany, rock maple, ebony, black walnut.

I can also use scraps that are too odd for anything else!

It’s to make a small lyre attachment for a special odd ball instrument, so it’s a miniscule amount of wood: most shops don’t carry or sell smaller amounts?

I figured out a way to attach a kalimba to my guitar! I’ve wanted to do this because I play both and it will be going on my travel guitar: the Martin backpacker guitar.

The idea is simple, made out of wood, and I can make it: I’ve done cool music carpentry stuff a plenty: even if I have to make it with hand tools this time.

The idea: there’s a hardwood plate on the side-facing-up-at-you Guitar side panel, towards the bottom hell of the guitar. I’d have to move the guitar and play it facing “right” with the neck facing down/out to my left: sound hole facing left.

The idea is to make a wooden “lyre” shaped bridge-assembly, using simple tenon-mortise joints, and some Allen key bolts, discreetly used.

The entire bridge assembly works like this: it’s got the box-guitar body as the “kalimba resonator” and then the “base” of the bridge clamps into the “plate” against the guitar body. The kalimba bridge is held in place at the Top-Bar of the lyre shape, and held in place with clever uses of those simple wooden joinery parts: and with slots to hold pins.

It would (essentially be) a scissoring flowing shape of tensioned bridges and arches, that can disassemble on the go and fit into a small flat package.

I drew this up this morning and it’s a fairly
Simple project from some hardwood boards: I’m excited!

Long story short, I’ve been homeless for 3 years and it’s been alright: because I had a contingency plan and I’m capable.

So I can’t shower all the time, and have a gym membership/wash my clothes once a week.

But then I figured out How to have a portable 1-2 gallon bucket with me, that folds up to nothing! It lives in my bike frame bag now.

Then I saw a YouTube bikepacker say he wears pants (it’s summer, I’m basically wearing flops and short shorts and a tank top) and socks and still washes himself down with a scrubby hand glove.

So last night I sprayed myself down with my Heat-mister and washed my legs with this method.

Absolutely blissful :)

I like figuring out logistical stuff like that.

I can also wash my undies (haha, man thongs) socks and some of my clothes in this portable bucket I made, with a soap cast into a kid’s sized (2oz) deodorant container, repurposed.

I used to be a power-android user but then I switched to iPhone. It’s absolutely the worst mobile platform I’ve used in recent memory: it’s simply inadequate and absolutely a toy, not a work tool.

Anyway, how can I send a pdf file from my iPhone to the SuperNote? I cannot use an OtG usb- the primary method I used with my Android phone.

I tried sending it to my email, and reading the email server on the SuperNote but that is taking literally over 10 minutes, and sometimes failing. That is absurd.

I really dislike how limited the App Store is for the iPhone, but is the SN partner app worth it?
I can’t use Google Drive to Upload a file into the SN, just to use the cloud to back it up, exporting files from the SN to my GD account.

I’m frankly so frustrated with Apple, it makes me want to hate their product line. Everyone says this goes away once you buy into their ecosystem, but I’d gladly spray Agent orange on it.

So I’m homeless, right? It happened because I was living with a lot of people, renting a room, and all Hell broke loose. I’m lucky, because I knew this could happen and I spent ~20 years building up a smart contingency plan. I even made the routines bomb proof. When it happened, I was able to flee an actual domestic violence situation, and got away safely.

It’s been 3 years, relatively easy going, yet still somewhat difficult. I do my best, and it’s enough!

A friend asked me to read a book, and said he’d pay me to write a book report, because he wants to see where I’m at with life. The book is “the $100 start up” (Chris guillebea.) I did actually make a business with that sort of money, but it’s not quite the “level” the author used to describe his thought process. It still makes me money though. Then I realized I don’t know how money actually works: just that I use it and I’m considered destitute, not just impoverished.

Then I found a book called “Debt, the first 5,000 years” (David Greaber) and this really made it sink in. Oh, I also re-read “The Richest Man in Babylon” which actually made me a decently rich man, before my bad housing situation made it crash down on top of me.

Something came up. What if money itself is simply a tool we use to measure value? Obviously, owing and being in debt is socially a place like Hell. Being able to expunge debt and gain credit as well as easy loans and low interest, that’s an easy road, to Hell… though it feels like heaven.

And the book (Debt the first 5k years) mentioned how money came to be: through the patriarchy and with the military industrial complex: at least with the Old World, and abrahamic religions.

I can’t unsee this: God of the modern west IS money.