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Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Hard Times in the 'Heartland'

I am writing a new short story, as well as a flash fiction piece, about my experience as a homeless veteran. I love my time in the military itself, but I think the most powerful story I can recount is finding myself with no place to live, no car, injured and unable to work and no support systems -- in the middle of a Nebraska winter in 2012. As much as it is a story about hard times, it is also a piece that focuses on the failings of Lincoln, Nebraska, and the VA there, to have someplace for veterans to turn so they don't have to experience the harsh "Heartland" temperatures and perils first-hand by living outside. It was certainly an experience that changed me, and a lot of veterans I have known since.