About Me

I believe it is important to be thankful for what you have, even if it doesn't appear to be much. Usually, the list of things a person can be thankful for is longer than they think. I am going to need back surgery later this year. I could complain about that, but I am thankful that my job provides insurance for me to get the surgery and I look forward to all the hiking and am going to be able to do after I recover. Looking back on my life, I see the hard times I went through with a lot more clarity than I did back when I was experiencing them. Had I not experienced those hard times, I never would have met my girlfriend, who was and is my inspiration and absolute love of my life! She is an avid hiker, cross-country skier, and workout fanatic. Her motivation and love are what sustain me and keep me looking forward. 

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According to the website, Policy Advice, there are currently over 500, 000 homeless people in the United States. Almost half of that population is African American. From 2009 to 2014 I was one of those homeless people. After the small non-profit housing organization I worked for laid off three of its 8 employees (me being one of them), my life went downhill pretty fast. I lost my apartment, my car, and all of my stuff. I lost everything that was important to me in the span of about two weeks. During my five-year homeless odyssey, I slept in parks, and alleys, ate food out of dumpsters, lived in abandoned houses, and washed up in public bathrooms when I could, but I never gave up hope that I would eventually get off the streets. 

 

I was in my mid-forties when I became homeless. I was almost 50 when I finally got a job and a place to live again. Seven years and two jobs later, I am dusted off, cleaned up, and writing this Bio. The one thing that living on the streets for five years taught me is no matter how bad things are, they could always be worse. And that is why I can always and easily list off the things I am thankful for! HeadPointe is the natural outgrowth of my homeless experience, my experiences in nature, and my personal journey as an African-American hiker, and backpacker. Keep Climbing!