"I Threw Away the Pizza" – What Was the Lowest Point Poverty Forced Me Into?

There was a two-year stretch when I was really broke, and a lot of embarrassing moments happened. Once, my lunch was a half-rotten watermelon I found in a parking lot. I even filled up my tank for just $2.15. Eventually, I had to sell my car and took shelter in an abandoned factory, sleeping on two dirty cushions covered with a holey tarp. It was a rough time, but looking back, I’m grateful for the lessons it taught me. Since then, I’m not afraid of anything.

I sold my flat-screen TV for a few clothes and a can of gas.

I slept with a man just so I could stay at his place. I had no home and an important job interview on Monday morning. I’d been on the streets for a week, needed a shower, and didn’t have a clean outfit. I met him Saturday, stayed the night, cooked lunch for us the next day—so I could eat—and he let me wash and iron my clothes. Monday, I showed up fresh and clean and got the job. He wasn’t rude or creepy, but I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t been desperate.

I cut up a holey T-shirt to use as a pad because I couldn’t afford tampons.

I visited my grandma like a casual drop-in and stole $540 from her. I knew where she kept her secret stash—about $4,050 in cash—and I needed to pay rent. I didn’t ask her because she would have told the whole family, and I couldn’t handle that. Three months later, I got back on my feet and returned the money without her noticing.

I walked for two days to my grandfather’s village to ask for money because I couldn’t afford the few-dollar bus fare. I slept in the forest in a sleeping bag and got bitten by ants.

For eight months, I used old phone books as toilet paper. My shoe soles were so worn that my feet touched the ground in places, so I made cardboard insoles every few days.

My boss had been hinting he liked me for years. One day after work, I offered to sleep with him if he promoted me and gave me a raise. He agreed, but a month passed with no change. When I asked, he said he wanted another round.

I figured, why not? But this time, I turned on my phone’s recorder and asked how much he enjoyed cheating on his wife with me. The next day, I played the recording for him and threatened to send it to his wife and boss if he didn’t act. I got a great position in another department with a raise. I’m not proud of it, but after years of hard work with no progress, I did what I had to.

I saw someone throw away a pizza box, so I rushed over and was thrilled to find a few dry crusts left. It was one of the best meals of my life.

I could only afford a shared apartment with two rooms, each with three beds, where everyone but me used drugs. I had to wipe dust off the toilet before using it. Loud music played nonstop, and once I almost stepped barefoot on a used needle. My roommate even had sex with a high girl just a meter away from me.

Photos: istockphoto.com, unsplash.com