Essays

Life on the Streets

I initially wrote this as practice for a school essay it had a word count that is why it's pretty short.

I waited patiently for the guards to switch duties.
Go time. I pulled my mask down.
"Hands where I can see them. This is a robbery"

Now, how does one come into such a situation where stealing is the answer?

Well, it never ceased to amaze me how yesterday says nothing of tomorrow. Tomorrow nothing is guaranteed.

Yesterday I had a home. Today I do not. Yesterday nothing was impossible and today nothing seems possible.

All it took was a fire. Everything gone burnt to the ground. A place I once called home.

One candle. The scent of roses and lavender. I lit it everyday. My home had the most exotic scent. One night I forgot to extinguish the candle.
The flame took a hold of the curtain. Slowly but surely the fire spread, burning everything I once owned and loved to the ground.

"Who told you to be so careless." "Be Grateful. You are alive!" This is what I heard from everyone on a daily basis. I was holding on for dear life. These comments did not help.

Everything turned south from that moment. I forgot to complete my assignments for work. Forgot to clock in and out. I just forgot!
I was "let go" from my job due to "budget cuts". Turns out that was not true at all. I was a liability, so I was fired.

There began my life on the streets. I tried to find odd jobs. Like mowing someone's lawn or being a maid. No luck.

I cannot be given all the blame here. Even with a horrendous situation I tried. I failed. I had to do the next best thing. Life on the streets was not for the weak.

I was taught an important lesson.
Do not judge someone. I knew this from day one. However, that did not stop me from being judgemental. It took being homeless to understand the gravity of this statement.

Life gave me lemons. I had to make lemonade. I had 99 problems with one solution: money. I truly cannot be blamed.

Robbing a bank was the perfect solution.

(347 words)