VENDOR SUBMISSION - Walter D.

“Why don’t you look homeless?”

BY WALTER D., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Hello my friends, it’s me again. Most everybody knows me by Walter. I was married for 27 years, but I lost my wife and my two girls in a car accident in 1995. After they were killed I felt like my life had no meaning.

So, I lost everything I had worked for by giving up, blaming God for taking my friends, my love, my only reasons to live! Well, I moved upstate and started over. I met a woman who touched my heart again. We got married after a year but only lasted eight years because her brother got out of prison and got her back on drugs and drinking. She really loved me because I never touched or tried any kind of drugs or dope even as a teenager, plus I have never tried beer, wine etc. to this day. I still don’t know what it tastes like! Anyway, I divorced her and came here in 2010. I was doing good but then I went back home to Columbia, South Carolina. Things were good. but then it went downhill again.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I knew that I couldn’t blame God because he states life shall have its ups and downs good or bad! It’s my fault again that I lost what I had by letting my brother use me, but here I am back in Nashville. Yes I am doing fair because y’all are helping me!

The main reason why I am writing this story is because I have had a few people ask me how come I look so clean and neat, plus I don’t “look homeless.” Well I’m not going to lie because I do have a van, which I sleep in and I got a mattress.

I do thank y’all very much for your help by buying the paper cause I use it to buy food, gas, soap, razors etc. My paper sales help me to keep clean. I go to the truck stop every two days to take a shower. It costs $14, but it is worth it cause at least I know that I am not smelling like dope or beer etc. Plus, I stopped smoking cigs 11 years ago, but I waited too long because it cost me my teeth smoking for 35 years. I truly do appreciate y'all saying to me that it is nice to see a clean person like myself selling the paper.

Oh yeah, I know a lot of y’all pray for me and are concerned about me so please I must say a very special thank you and even though I stay in my van I park at a Walmart parking lot, I stay to myself cause I have a corner away from the other people who are into bad things.

Well, I think I have taken up enough of your time but I just wanted to say thank you all again for all y'all do by helping me. Y’all dont realize I have a lot of people, men and women back in the office who help put out the paper cause without them I wouldn’t be over here so y'all can help me so please send an email to let them know how much y’all care! Please take care of yourself and I truly do appreciate and thank you all for the help, smiles, waves which yall give me.