The American Dream on $25

[legion]

http://www.wickedlocal.com/northandover/homepage/x142934377

Shepard ended up at the homeless shelter as a safe haven during an experiment he set out on to see if it is still possible to find the American Dream. With $25, a sleeping bag and tarp, and the clothes on his back he set off by train from Raleigh, North Carolina and made his first mistake, getting off the train late at night in the very dangerous city of North Charleston, South Carolina.
...
What in the world was he doing out there? Well, Shepard had read a book called “Nickle and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich, who tried to live on the wages from one $7-an-hour job and failed. Shepard was determined to prove her wrong when she said it is no longer possible to climb out of one’s socioeconomic level.

“I was really looking for solutions in her book, but she just kind of *****ed the whole way through — no solutions,” said Shepard. “She had a victim mentality and a pessimistic approach, no question about it.”

So after his 2006 graduation from Merrimack College at age 23 with a degree in business management and Spanish, he set off on his quest on July 24, with plans to write his own book about improving your lot in life. He hid his education and background, and set the goal that in one year he would have $2,500, a car, a furnished apartment, and be in a position where he could continue to improve his circumstances by either going to school or starting his own business. He found his answer and more and published his story in “Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream.”

Settling in at the homeless shelter he was lucky enough to find on that scary first night, he was surprised at the unquestioning acceptance of him by the other residents.

“I didn’t look like a fat, hairy homeless dude,” says Shepard. “Not only did I blend in, but they didn’t judge. It was like ‘we’re all in this together.’”

Originally planning to dedicate a few paragraphs to his life at the homeless shelter, he ended up giving it half of his book.

“I was really impressed by the staff there,” says Shepard. “They are really there to help you get the heck out, and the characters you meet in a homeless shelter are fascinating.”

He was warned to guard his belongings and watch out for sexual advances. He managed to get a job with a moving company, and bought a secondhand truck for $1,000.

“Buying that truck and driving it off the lot was my first real feeling of pride,” says Shepard.

He eventually managed to move out of the shelter and share a $600 apartment with roommate B.G., who kept borrowing that truck.

“He’d tell me he was going on a short errand, and he’d be gone for three hours,” says Shepard. “It got old. One night I needed my truck and it was gone. When he came back we fought it out inside, and then outside, and then inside. He knocked me out and I hit my head on the windowsill and split it open. His cousin Derrick peeled him off me, but I jumped on him for round two and he beat me up some more.”

One of the fascinating characters Shepard met was Derrick Hale, who pulled his cousin B.G. off Shepard during that fight. Derrick was a coworker at the moving company, and Shepard was inspired watching him make all the right decisions with his life.

“Derrick is the hero of the second part of my book,” says Shepard. “You see the vitality of the American Dream through his life. He was a normal, every-day guy. He worked hard. He was strong and quick. He didn’t squander his money. He bought a house when his friends were driving Cadillacs with chrome rims. I was very lucky to meet a guy like him.”
...
“Adam has been doing radio and print interviews all over the country — and has promised ‘The Today Show’ that they will have the first national TV interview,” says his PR person, Alisa Balterman. “He is also booked for ‘Inside Edition’ on February 27. Adam is, just as you might expect of a person willing to walk out to the unknown with only $25 to his name, gutsy, a visionary and yes, a bit of a character — but an intelligent, articulate and attractive one! He has many interesting stories to tell about his broad, multi-faceted experience.”

After almost 10 months of his projected one-year experiment, Shepard needed to return home to care for his mother, who had a cancer relapse and was out of unemployment money. He and his brother Erik split costs on a three-bedroom apartment and took care of their mom.

“Mom is doing very well,” says Shepard. “She fought through very triumphantly. She’s very energetic and independent.”

In 10 months Shepard managed to get out of a homeless shelter and into an apartment, get a permanent job with a moving company, buy a used truck, and save $5,500, far exceeding his original $2,500 savings objective. He then wrote and published “Scratch Beginnings” on these adventures.

He has returned to his alma mater this week for a scheduled book discussion at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 24 at the Rogers Center for the Arts. The event is free, with the book on sale for $14, “or $10 each for two,” says Shepard.

Shepard wants to share what he has learned, and hopes to become a motivational speaker in high schools.

“My whole message is, you’re getting ready to enter a world where you’re no longer little Johnny full of potential,” says Shepard. “It’s going to become, ‘Here I am on my own. What am I gonna do?’ I’m saying, if you make good decisions, your life will reap better results; poor decisions reap poor results.

“It’s simple and it’s not revolutionary, but I can use my experience of actually living it. The thing is, I learned so much more than I anticipated — how you can get by with the simple things. I’m still driving that same secondhand truck. I really appreciate what we need to live as opposed to what we want.”

[legion]

No comments?

This kid proved all of the welfare experts wrong.

He didn't do another study, he lived the life and the proof is in the pudding.

Anyone can make something of themselves if they want to.

[dewolf]

Originally Posted by legion

No comments?

This kid proved all of the welfare experts wrong.

He didn't do another study, he lived the life and the proof is in the pudding.

Anyone can make something of themselves if they want to.

Tend to agree. Barring mental illness, I believe most ' bums ' could pull themselves out of the hole they're in. Most just choose not to. I know here in Oz, as I'm sure it is the States, there are many agencies that offer help and support to better yourself. You just have to ask.

[Sapporo Guy]

+1 dewolf

With out want you have not.

BE - DO - HAVE ...

You have to BE to get to HAVE.
Starting at DO ends up with HAVE then LOST/BACK to the beginning.

Look at weight loss for the easiest example.
You can go to the gym everyday for a half year. Reach your goal and then a few months later you have rebounded. Because you never thought that you were "slim" you only did.

Nike -- Just do it

The story above ... was a set goal with the idea that the person already knew he would get out. Good story but there is a lot missing about the regular folks and their motivation.

[Hugh R]

Legion,

frankly no comment. Someone goes out to prove something and they do, I don't really care. I'm not sure what your trying to prove, hard work and dedication equal success? I think even those who say they scratched it out from the bottom up-most had some support. Me. I graduated UMass, Amherst, moved to LA and lived with my sister for a month or three until I found a regular paying job. Saved some bucks, gave my sister some cash and eventually got my own apartment. Used the GI bill to buy my first house, and moved on from there. I'm sure there are some people who crawled and scratched and got no help whatsoever, but I think most people had a friend/family member to help a little.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Hugh, I think the point is that anyone can make it in America, contrary to what the welfare apologists would have you believe. All you hear is how that the poor, disenfranchised of America HAVE NO CHANCE at making something of themselves. This guy proved that in 10 mo. you can go from a homeless shelter with nothing to a fairly decent position in life, thanks to nothing but hard work. Of course, that whole "hard work" part is the catch for many today.

[Christien]

While I don't disagree with the general principal, I think you guys are missing one critical factor - this guy did NOT come from a poor family, with poor upbringing. He's got a bloody degree in business management, for chrissakes! He's been schooled in being responsible and managing money. This is something that kids that come from poor families DON'T get in their upbringing, which puts them at a crucial disadvantage.

Furthermore, he pointed out that the homeless shelters really did try to help people get back on their feet, rather than just providing free shelter and food, which is evidence that at least some of the social safety net works.

How can someone possibly learn to be responsible, save money, etc etc when they're raised by bling bling advertising and not parents? It's like cutting someone's leg off then expecting them to walk. Doesn't work that way.

[svandamme]

That he made it , is great , it prooves that some people can pull themselves up by the bootstraps if in a position to do so

but it does not prove that "anyone" can make it like he did

It's not clear if this kid is black, hispanic, or native american

It is clear , he was educated, brought up with a skill-set he was able to put to good use
hell, he wrote a book, so i assume he does have a way with words that makes him stand out from the real bums, that do not have his ability with language, like he does

Maybe he even has a certain natural charm, that helped him in this ordeal, you can say what you want, but some people just manage to create luck based on their smile and way with people...

i'm not making excuses for all "bums"
but to claim that "anyone" can make it, despite their previous history , is just a big generalization .. Some people have the bad luck of being born in the town they were born, with the parents that they got, and the piss poor parenting or situation they started life with... And if you never learned to speak elegantly, if you never learned anything other then bad things, then eventually, you do get stuck with tunnelvision and for lack of a better word i'll invent one, tunnelbehaviour

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by svandamme

That he made it , is great , it prooves that some people can pull themselves up by the bootstraps if in a position to do so

but it does not prove that "anyone" can make it like he did

It's not clear if this kid is black, hispanic, or native american

It is clear , he was educated, brought up with a skill-set he was able to put to good use
hell, he wrote a book, so i assume he does have a way with words that makes him stand out from the real bums, that do not have his ability with language, like he does

Maybe he even has a certain natural charm, that helped him in this ordeal, you can say what you want, but some people just manage to create luck based on their smile and way with people...

i'm not making excuses for all "bums"
but to claim that "anyone" can make it, despite their previous history , is just a big generalization .. Some people have the bad luck of being born in the town they were born, with the parents that they got, and the piss poor parenting or situation they started life with... And if you never learned to speak elegantly, if you never learned anything other then bad things, then eventually, you do get stuck with tunnelvision and for lack of a better word i'll invent one, tunnelbehaviour

Good looking young blond kid who looks to be in prime physical shape and as you point out more than likely presents very well as you would expect from a college grad with a business degree.

[bt1211]

I have to agree with Christien.

[Rikao4]

Stijn,
good friend of mine & wife's boss,
10 siblings from the rural south
5 Very successful
5 either prison,coming out , drug's,on the dole
? I ask,
'some of us wanted more, the others didn't even try '
Rika

[legion]

So because of someone's unfortunate upbringing and not--as this article proves--that they can't do for themselves, we should allow them to suck off of the public teat indefinitely?

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by legion

So because of someone's unfortunate upbringing and not--as this article proves--that they can't do for themselves, we should allow them to suck off of the public teat indefinitely?

Pretty much yeah. Don't like it either so if you have a solution that will work I'm all ears. Seriously, not being sarcastic here.

[bt1211]

+ 1000 stomachmonkey.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I would argue that without a public teet, things would be much different. It would certainly provide some degree of motivation. Nobody would starve or freeze outside, there's plenty of church and charitable organizations that take care of the basics. But they wouldn't have an XBox either.

[stomachmonkey]

Motivation to do what?

Get a job?

Or to rob?

[legion]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Motivation to do what?

Get a job?

Or to rob?

And I would argue that there are plenty of criminals on the public teat. Those that are inclined to commit crimes already do. Those that are comfortable in their station in life need a nudge--being made uncomfortable--to rejoin the ranks of productive members of society.

[Sapporo Guy]

If the public teet is still the same as 15 years ago ... then that is one of the problems.

The public teet is set so that if you go off you end up with going cold turkey. This means that it is better to stay on the teet and do nothing to improve your situation rather than trying to get one step ahead in life because once you cross the border of public help cuts off you end up at times in a harder postion than being on the dole.

I don't think the dole is really that bad. People at times do really need an injection of cash.

Public aid should be step based with a gradual reduction. On top of which, education should be part of the requirement to recieve cash. Basically get paid to go to school. Cut class = cut in money.

Next provide people with a way to have an address, telephone service, email, shower, clothes that could be borrowed. Note, I am not necessarily saying a home. Many homeless can't be housed thereby having an address, a shower and clean clothes could help them go to job interviews. Once your on the street you only have weeks before the vicious cycle places you in a position that going for an interview is now blocked because you don't have a contact address ... thereby a bad hire.


Just a few ideas.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by Rikao4

Stijn,
good friend of mine & wife's boss,
10 siblings from the rural south
5 Very successful
5 either prison,coming out , drug's,on the dole
? I ask,
'some of us wanted more, the others didn't even try '
Rika

sure, that's possible too

but not all bums are bums because of lack of trying
"Anyone" is a big generalization , that's all i'm saying

my own sister, works in a sheltered workplace
maybe her dad's genes, or lack of oxygen at birth, who's to say

but she just has difficulties with things, she's not retarded, she's just not that smart, doesn't pick up things as fast

we both had the same mother, same defunct upbringing, i won't go into details on that, but in retrospect, we got a ****ty deal

i'm not crying about it, i'm doing ok, i am pretty sharp, and i find workarounds

but my sister, she cannot find those workarounds for those problems
and even if i give her the workarounds, they don't work for her

if she were without family to check up on her, to help her out
And if she were left to fend for her own, and no organization would help her out...She'd be easy prey for all sorts of bad cats, she'de be robbed blind, and screwed over till she was nothing but a puddle of misery and finally gave up ...

If my sister and i would have had a stable home and upbrining
she'de be a lot better off now, she would not have to overcome all the pent up frustration, the inability to socialize, to feel comfortable around people
She wouldn't need to workaround unneeded problems, and just live a normal and more simple life , unlike now, where she has to fight life with hands tied behind her back

If y'all say "anyone" can make it
then i beg to differ, because i'm sure that there are people in the US like my sister, that don't have the abilities

And i'm also sure that there are other categories of people who just don't know what we know, who can't think in terms of "one year", because they are busy thinking how they are going to make it through "this week"


This kid, with 1 year, started off with 25 bucks, education, and a plan

Maybe he can try the same thing, with 20 grand in heavy interest debt, and no education... dunno how he can simulate that, maybe Meth could work in that respect....

Maybe that would make the "anyone can do it" concept more realistic...

[Sapporo Guy]

Hmmm, ok,

I think you guys (Chris and Matt) do have good points and very valid too.

I think the problem is that there are hard timers and those that really are down on their luck.
"hard timers" being those who really don't want to do anything because they prefer the free help with no need to change or do better.
Could the hard timers be the ones that you guys are referring too?

So, that would mean the system needs to filter each by their needs and adjust the methods to deal with each.

Yes, criminals exist at all levels of the social scale.
But I think cold turkey methods could provoke people enough to just switch over to praying on people rather than praying on free handouts.