Still on the Road This has excerpts from a long posting by a a homeless boy writing from a library. He is 15 now. Links to the full article are at the bottom.
My name is Larry and I was 14 when I ran away from home. My mom and I argued constantly. One night it got so bad that she started hitting me. I couldn’t take it any longer and I had to get out of there.It was 2:00am when I opened my window and jumped out. When my feet hit the ground I ran as fast as I could. I was a little chubby then so I couldn’t run very fast but fast enough to get away. I went to a nearby highway going south and I started to follow it. I hitched a ride with some truckers who let me off somewhere in Ohio. I had no money so I had to steal food to eat. I had no where to go so I just kept walking. At night I wrapped up in the blanket I brought and slept in the deep ditch that I had been walking in.One day a police car pulled up beside me and a cop got out. He asked me where I was going and I said I was going to the next exit. That I had just got back from a sleepover and I was walking home. He told me to get in and I did. He pulled off on the next exit and asked me where my house was. I directed him to a nearby neighborhood. He asked which house and I looked around for a house that looked empty. I told him it was a house that looked as if no one was there. I got out of the car and he did too. He wanted to talk to my parents. I went up to the house and knocked hoping no one was there. I told the officer that my mom was at work. He gave me a long glare and said to keep off the highway. He back into his partol car and drove off. The instant he was out of sight I ran as fast as I could.From then on I took side roads. I went through people’s trash for food and slept anywhere I thought it was somewhat safe.
(…)
One thing was clear though is that my mom didn’t make a bug effort to find me and I could never go back there.I am now currently sitting in a library typing this up. I am still on the run and probably always will be. I celebrated my birthday on the streets and I’m 15 now.I have to go now but I want to tell you all out there reading this that running away is a big mistake. If you want to throw your life away then run away but be aware that it is rough. And some people may not be as lucky as me. I never got into drugs or drinking and that’s why I think I was able to survive for so long.
Good luck,Larry
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Oldtimer Speaks Out 