My partner Adam and I have, throughout our nearly two years together, faced incredible adversity. We’re homeless. Situations where some people may have, given up or succumbed to depression and become destitute.

However, through our love for each other and our companionship, a healthy level of individual self-respect, our spirituality and the occasional kindness of others, we persevere. Even as of very recently, we have experienced moments where I have thought “I can’t do this,” and, at the risk of losing our possessions, going without our needs met, or even legal repercussions, have had to take a break. 

But we remain grateful. We tackle every day together — despite Adam breaking his arm, my fracturing my spinal cord after being hit by a car while riding my bicycle, health problems, mental illness, societal discrimination and even police harassment. We soldier on.

We overcome shame. We write off narcissistic employers who saw me for my housing status, instead of my actual character; it isn’t easy being terminated repeatedly for reasons unrelated to my work. We have to shrug our shoulders at every man who has hollered “Get a job!” out of their windows once the light turns green.

But we keep going. We like who we are, love each other and never give up. I am generally happier these days than I ever have been. And I’m “homeless.” Yep.

Sometimes I feel hopeless. But those moments are rare and fleeting. More often, I think I am the luckiest man alive.

Brian Barber
Brunswick