The Road Back (from Homelessness), 1990s, by Robert Kowalski

From MemoryArchive

Who: Robert Kowalski
What: The Road Back From Homelessness
When: 1990s
Where: New York, New York

You have probably read this title somewhere before -- so forgive me if it not original -- and wreaks of the "journey" thing. I probably read it somewhere, but cannot remember where or when. I am the local distribution manager for New York City Voices. I ride my bicycle through Manhattan and distribute this small and very informative paper to seventy plus residential and treatment facilities for persons with mental disabilities. Each month the paper has meetings to discuss the next newspaper issue. I have been asked here and there to write an article about myself, and as I am transitioning back to a working life, I felt that now would be a little better time to contribute something.

As of January 1st, 2000, I finally obtained a lease on a small studio in the city for the first time since 1982 (when I was illegally -- although I did not know it at the time -- evicted from my small room which I had kept for eight years). It has been a very long road back, largely a month at a time, a year at a time.

Presently, I am grateful to some extent to be in New York City, because of the plethora of caregivers, helping professionals and social services here which (with the help of medications) makes possible successful transitions from hospital/street/homelessness -- for persons who may be in crisis as a result of mental illness, or for persons who simply have become disenfranchised as a result of the essentially (in my opinion) mindless economy which seems to me to be based solely on incessant "growth" and "development" and projections thereof.

One comment which I heard in the late nineteen eighties and early nineteen nineties, which helped to inspire me to get off of the street, was: "You know, there is a lot of help out there if you just ask for it." I have found this to be true. Another comment which I have heard in the last few years: "You get as much out of a program as you put into it." I have found that to be helpful as well. Experience has informed me that some transitions take time -- however I shall "fast forward."

Because of the support of various agencies and training programs, I have been hired recently as a part-time monitor/tutor in a computer lab and am a census enumerator for the Federal Government. The growth has been slow but I guess you could say here is New York City, where nine million people live, work, and recover one day at a time.

Reproduced with permission from New York City Voices, where you will also find more information about recovery.