Michael: I had a good childhood, and I played like the normal kids. And then my parents, I had my mom and my daddy. They took care of us like they should, and there wasn't no child molesting or anything like that.

UHC: Are you from the area?

Michael: I'm really from Graycourt. I'm originally from Graycourt, and I moved to Greenville, to make a long story short. I moved to Greenville in '83. And I had a good childhood, and all that. And we were raised up right. Went to high school. My momma and daddy put nine children through high school, and I was one of them, the middle child.

UHC: That's pretty impressive.

Michael: There were four under me and four older than me. And they put all nine of us through high school. And some of us went to college. And I could have went to college, too, if I wanted to, but I chose not to. I just got out of high school and I started to work an ordinary job. And I started working at the St. Joe Paper Company down there in Laurens.

UHC: What company?

Michael: St. Joe Paper Company down there in Laurens. And I went from there, I went to....see....I went to the mill at the [???] plant and worked there for a while. Then went from there and went to Oak Rehab and then went from there to Burger King, went from there to S&S Cafeteria, you know, from there to Goodwill. And then, went from there to the courthouse.

UHC: Was that all done here in Greenville, like, where you are now?

Michael: Yes. Some of it was down...except for the St. Joe Paper Company down there in Laurens. And the [???] plant was in Simpsonville. The [???] plant was in Simpsonville. I worked in Simpsonville, down in Mauldin, Simpsonville, Greenville. And, you know, that's when I started working and started trying to save me some money. Tried to get me a car. Then I started trying to find out if my eyes were bad. Couldn't get the car, so, you know, stuff like that. So I never had a regular...like, owned a car, nothing like that. And then, you know, then I was catching rides with people and going out with my brothers, sometimes going out with my sister. Catching a ride with different people. And then I went with my momma and daddy to different places and toured different places. I went to Six Flags. Stuff like that.

UHC: Which Six Flags did you go to?

Michael: I went to Six Flags in Atlanta.

UHC: I'm from Atlanta. I used to go to Six Flags a lot.

Michael: I used to go to Six Flags a lot in Atlanta. Then I went to Carowinds in North Carolina a lot. You know, and stuff like that. And then when I got to Greenville...I went to Greenville and I got on the mental health. I really got on the mental health in 1980 after my nervous breakdown in 1980. And then that's when I got on medicine, and I'm not ashamed of it.

UHC: Was it just like, stress in your life?

Michael: Yeah, it was just like stress...just a bunch of stress was on me... got on me. Had a bunch of stress and a bunch of worration and a bunch of tension. And then I just broke down and went to preaching. So then when I went to the state hospital and got help. And the man, my doctor told me that I had acute [???] problems. So then they ran an EKG on my head and found out there wasn't anything wrong with my brains. And then my idea came about my eyes. And they found out about my eyes, that I was announced I was going to doctor, doctor, doctor about my eyes. And he telling me different things about my eyes. Then eventually I went to the Commission of the Blind, and they finally told me the real story about my eyes. I got macular degeneration, which is the nerves that are directly in my eyes. [??????] from '83 to '86, I got my check started. That's when I moved out of Carolina Retirement Center on Laurens Road. From '83...from '83 to about '86, and then when I got my check started, I moved to Towers East on down on North Main Street downtown down there. Then stayed there six years and nine months and then moved on down to the Summit, the Greenville Summit. That was the Greenville hotel down by the bus station downtown. And stayed down there. Stayed down there three years, and then all of a sudden when I got down there...now this is the fatal part, and then that's when I got tempted to start trying the fatal thing - the drinking. And I was drinking a little bit in the past, but then when I got down to the Summit, I started drinking a little more.

UHC: Was it just like, the temptation of being around it, or was there anything else that caused it, or was it just...?

Michael: No, there just wasn't nothing that caused it. It's just something I wanted to try. Everybody was doing it. You know, and I just wanted to try it. And I started to drink, and then next thing I know, then came along the crack. Then that's when I started smoking crack. And I wanted to try that. It was out, and it came out. So I tried that and started enjoying it, and then the next thing you know, my money was going on crack. My money was going on crack. Then I left there and left the Summit. Went out on the street. I didn't really go out on the street, but went out there to this other friend's house, and I stayed with him. And we really was smoking crack and drinking and spending my money on crack. Paying so much for rent, and then smoking crack and drinking. Then hooked on crack. Then to make a long story short, stayed all together on the streets for a total of between 10 and 15 years. Then smoked that crack for about 10 or 15, about 15 years total.

UHC: Was it just you and this friend, or did you have a group of people that you were with?

Michael: I say, what now?

UHC: Was it just you and this one friend, or did you have a community that you were with?

Michael: Well, it was just me and a friend, and we were just doing it. We...I was staying with him. And then it was me and him and sometimes people would be coming over to see us. And they smoked with us and stuff like that. And then, you know, then I eventually left him and went to some people out there standing on the streets. That's when I would just go around to different places and get my money, still from mental health. And they would give me my money. And they knowed what I was doing, but they never would really say nothing. And they just...the way, you know. It ain't like mental health was supporting me in my smoking. They knowed what I was doing, but it's like they knowed in way. But they...they never did really bring it down to test to really prove it.

UHC: Do you have any reasons why you think, why you think they didn't do anything? Or they just didn't want to...?

Michael: Well, the reason why they really didn't do nothing was, I think, is just they really, they just didn't really know for absolutely sure. You know, but then they...

UHC: So, just in case, they didn't want to take away that money?

Michael: Yeah. And then again, they didn't really want to take away my money because they know it's the only source of income I had, too. And then the people at mental health, up there today in Greenville is real understanding, and, really, they're just trying to help you. At the mental health, they're just really trying to help you. And then I was out on the street and really didn't know which way was which. Standing out in the cold. Standing on the streets and sleeping on the benches in downtown and covering up with a blanket and all that. Staying in abandoned houses and getting arrested. Going to jail for panhandling when I spent up all my money at the first of the month. Trying to get cigarettes. Going to the...coming over here to Main Street coming up there to the soup kitchen and going around different places getting something to eat. And then I kept on doing that and doing that and staying in abandoned houses.

UHC: Did you have like a, specific places you usually stayed, like the same places...?

Michael: Just different places wherever I could.

UHC: Like, if it was nighttime and you were near somewhere, then...?

Michael: Yeah, when it was nighttime, just wherever was nearest. Tried to make the best of wherever I was. Didn't stay under too many bridges. But I, the whole time on the street, the whole 10 to 15 years, I stayed under a bridge maybe 10 to maybe 20 nights. Outside, but there was too much under bridges. I didn't hardly go for that. And then when it get cold, sometimes stayed down there at the rescue mission on the gym floor. You know, I stayed down there at the rescue mission on the gym floor. Wake up five o'clock in the morning and had to get out of there by six o'clock.

UHC: Oh really, is that what time you have to leave?

Michael: Huh?

UHC: That's what time you guys had to leave by?

Michael: Yeah, you had to leave by six o'clock when you stayed at the gym floor. And they would give you a little egg sandwich or little eggs and grits and stuff like that. Or little donuts and coffee. Usually have a little something.

UHC: I have a question real quick before I forget. Did you have any kind of belongings with you, like stuff you carried around, like specific objects or?

Michael: Well, what do you mean?

UHC: Like, maybe, like, a toothbrush or a blanket?

Michael: Well, yeah, I carried around that sometimes. Most of the time I carried around my toothbrush, my deodorant, and some clothes. Sometimes I just left them different places and went back to the same places and got it, you know. Then I went into people's friends' houses and got cleaned up, and then sometimes I didn't really care whether I got cleaned up or not. And then, you know, it's where I would get the next hit from, you know. And then I kind of slowed up and was living on the drinking. And then smoking the crack more so than the drinking. See, I'd get beer, liquor, and wine and all. Never did no heroin or nothing like that. I smoked a little reefer. Smoked some reefer, too. Trying that out. Just trying reefer, really, actually before I started trying crack, you know, to back up a little bit. I started trying reefer before I started trying crack and stuff like that. [???????] mental health then the counselor found me a place in one boarding house on Stone. And moved out of [????], moved out of there, got back on the streets again. Then they moved me to the [???] apartment, over there off of Laurens Road until I started smoking over there, taking friends in, and then the landlord didn't like that. And mental health didn't like that. Then got out of there, and went back to the streets again, and then moved to the boarding house on Washington Street. Stayed there and didn't pay my rent because I smoked it up. Got tricked by this friend I had. So-and-so's going to help me pay the rent, but I smoked the money. Then when the time come to pay the rent, the friend didn't have the money and got throwed out of there. Then we're back on the streets. Then eventually moved back into the same boarding house again. And this time stayed there one in this level on my own. Went back out on the street, and I stayed out on the street until they eventually started talking about this place, Reedy Place. And they were talking about building it, but it was really going to happen, and I said, "I think I might try there."

UHC: Is that how you got involved with the Upstate Homeless?

Michael: Yes, that's how I got started with Upstate Homeless...through mental health and Mary Kay and Julia Mulligan, and they started telling me about this place and Willie Martin and Anthony, Mike Sanders and Dr. [???] and Phyllis. All of them at mental health will tell me about this place, oh, and Dr. Clare. Dr. Clare [????]. She'd tell me about the place, and all that I need to move there. And then eventually, when they did get it built, I moved in. And right before I moved in, my leg was starting to hurt me from being out in the cold weather. And then my leg was hurting me and hurting me, and then the next thing I know eventually moved in right here at the Reedy Place. And that's when my life started beginning. And that's when I could be in the warm heat in the winter and then went through when the weather and then I got damage and my leg got worser. And I got down in a wheelchair. I couldn't walk. I couldn't hardly walk at all. And then I went to the doctor, and the doctor ruled it out that my leg, I had pulled a muscle in my leg. Because I was so big back then and all that walking around and catching cramps in my legs and stuff. It was either a cramp or a pulled muscle, but they said it was either a pulled muscle or either a blood clot in my leg. So then they ruled it out that they had to run an ultrasound on my leg. And they said they couldn't find nothing. And then they kept checking it out and checking it out and ruled it was a pulled muscle. And then he put me on some pain pills. They wasn't doing too good. Then he put me on some stronger pain pills for at least five or six months and then eventually got put on a walk...wheelchair, and started getting up on the walker. And I got up on the walker, then next year the mental health center, which is my case worker [???] mental health, she brought me a walker over and then over here at Reedy Place. Then Julia would bring me tennis balls and put them on the bottom of my walker so they would scratch up the floors around here and stuff like that. Then I was...I kept saying, when I get well, I going to go back out there again, and then eventually when I did get well off the wheelchair and off the walker, then I started walking a little bit, and started really actually had to kind of like learn how to really walk again. So, like, so many were, like, learning to walk again, like, sort of give me a little jumpstart, a pull me to start me to walk. You know when you, when you be kind of, like you're having a stroke or something, so to speak? And they put you on the parallel bars to get you to walk the best way that you can. You know, they kind of like just pull you that way and see whether you walk or whether you fall or whatever, you know.

UHC: Just kind of that little push...

Michael: Just a little pull, and I started walking by myself. I had to get up and they had to give me a little pull. I got up, and I started doing myself. And I started walking. Then I started trying to get stronger going to the store. Then Venus, which I call her "Momma," she's such a darling lady, sweet as she can be, and a Christian lady, and I calls her "Momma" because...because she loves us all around here. And she just really tries her best to take care of us the best way she can. And she prays for us. And she cries for us when she be thinking about us and stuff like that. And that's why I call her "Momma," because she's just a wonderful lady, the lady that y'all met when she was coming in down there. And the other lady in my life was named Emma, the other little, kind of short, dark skinned lady that was out there. Little short, dark skinned that was out there that y'all might have saw. I don't know if y'all saw her or not. She used to cook for me, clean for me, wash my clothes for me when I was in the wheelchair and stuff like that. Until when I was learning to walk again, that's all like learning to walk again, she would clean for me. Then like now, since my eyes is legally blind, I have this, we...they have this person come over and clean for me once a week and stuff like that. And I kind of cook something for myself in the microwave and crock-pot. And then sometimes, some of the people cook for me around here, occasionally, like Emma and Charlie. Some people cooks for me. [????], something like a security guard, but she really not a security guard. She really like something right under Venus, like a manager, or either the manager's second hand, or the right hand person under, with the manager. You understand what I'm saying?

UHC: Yeah.

Michael: Then she maybe cook for me sometimes whenever she's not too busy, you know. She'll cook for me. And stuff like that, and then I would go back out on the streets, and I was doing some. Then I was going back out of the street, they got time Momma and them telling me different things. I need to quit. I might have to quit doing it. Then I mess around and stop for a whole month. Got clean for a whole month. Then all of a sudden, got mad and then started going back out there again.

UHC: Is this while you're living in here?

Michael: No, the reason why I was really living here is because I was...we chronically homeless.

UHC: Okay.

Michael: See we chronically homeless is the reason why we living in here now. It's for mental patients. It's for mental patients that's chronically homeless, and the Upstate Homeless Coalition provided this. This is the only one, this is the only building like this so far in the state of South Carolina. I think or as I recall. And this is the only building like this. But they supposed to be opening up another building almost similar to this down there in Fountain Inn. And that's really close down to my hometown where I come from, Graycourt. That's eight miles up above Graycourt. Like, you know what used to be 276. Now they changed it to 385 down that way. You know, like, where Laurens, old Laurens Road, you supposed to go to the top of the motor mile on Laurens Road. Go straight on down, used to be 276, and now it's 385 down that way. Like Simpson...Mauldin and Simpsonville, and then go straight on down, you follow what I'm saying?

UHC: Yes. That's where my family lives.

Michael: Oh, then you know what I'm saying. Had to go down that way. And then, they [???], and they told me I was going to have to quit smoking that stuff or, you know, or they going to take drastic measures. I didn't want to go to no detox or nothing like that. So, I just made it up in my mind, I said, "I'm going to have to quit." And I was saying this along the way, me smoking this for so long. And I was saying one day I'm going to have to quit, I knowed I would because my eyes the way they was and the way I was living. It just wasn't no good thing, and then I was owing drug boys. Then they wouldn't give me the proper size. Then the people that was smoking with me was taking my stuff. And I kept getting so frustrated about it. It just kept building up worse and worse and worser and worser. And I knew it was coming down to a showdown. Either me or them...either I get them or they get me. And I knew I didn't want that. And I'm not no violent person. Never have been. Never going to be. And I no prejudiced person. I wasn't raised that way. And really I was raised to be a Christian person. I don't exactly call myself a Christian, but, you know, I know the Word and been taught the Word. Was raised in church. My parents didn't raise me that way to curse, smoke, or drink. They never smoked or drank. I had wonderful parents and stuff like that. And then finally now when I did decide to quit, and they put the boom down, said they were going to take drastic measures. Now I can say today, today I'm 27 weeks clean. 27 weeks clean today. I can say it today. And I thank God for this place here and the wonderful start that they gave me to rehabilitate my life and be able to now keep myself clean and keep my clothes clean, and have a warm place in the winter, and cool in the summer. And sit and wait here in the doors and wash my clothes, and then one thing, one fee pay everything. Lights, water, heat, air condition, wash your clothes. You just pay, you know, a third...thirty percent of your income to stay here. And the mental health people be coming over and checking on us. Some people don't want to take their medicine. And they bring the day medicine over here. Then mental health people be coming over to carry us to buy groceries and stuff like that. They see that we get medicine and carry us to see doctors, dentists and doctors appointments and mental health. And, you know, I [???] appointments. We had to go to, how do you say it? Medical doctors. They carry us to the appointments right there, too. You know, and then they go buy us [???], and every now and then, like one time, they carried us to the circus. And then they carried us to Lake Hartwell. They try to have outings for us. Try to...then like on every Tuesday here, we have a tenants' meeting with Venus, which is "Momma." We have a tenants' meeting. We're going to have one tonight, and then we discuss about our problems, what we have in the...we have a chance to admit, I mean, not admit, but really to voice our opinion about what goes on with us and how we getting along with the staff and how we getting along with one another. And how we have a chance to say how we getting along with Venus, "Momma." We have a chance to say, and sometimes mental health be in the meeting, and they sits in. Sometimes two of the head people from Upstate Homeless Coalition, they sits in. Sometimes they listen to what we have to say and stuff like that. Then, you know, then it's just wonderful being clean, and you know, it's wonderful being clean.

UHC: I just noticed you had a sign on the door. Congratulations.

Michael: Oh, yeah. I wondered why you were looking over there. Yeah, that's my six months. That's a little party they had. Yeah, yeah. Oh, you seen that? Y'all seen that? Oh, okay. That's because I can't see good. I forgot about they put one on the back back there. Yeah, I forgot.

UHC: That's good they encourage you. It's good to have encouragement.

Michael: Yeah, and then they really encourage you around here. Momma's a good backbone. Momma's the backbone around here. Like I said, we's all her 15 children. You know, we're just her 15 children. She talks to us so nice and is so cooperative with us. And that's how the way she goes. Sort of like the old expression like my dad used to say. That she goes to her [????] time to talk to us. She tries to talk to us [???faithful???].

UHC: So, what's an average day like for you now? Like what do you do during your day?

Michael: [???] Well, I was going to evening group out there at mental health. But now I just don't go to the evening group down there at mental health because I feel like they taught me enough coping skills not to go out there and use no more. So I quit going out there, and I just sits around here and talks to the people around here. We stay in, go buy groceries, keep myself clean, you know. And tonight's going to be the Tuesday night meeting. Then, like, Tuesday, this morning at 9:15, there's another lady comes over and have a class over here about drugs and alcohol and psychiatric. She's something like a...not a psychiatrist, but she knows about psychiatry. [????] all three of them. She comes over here and has a class with us this morning. And we had our class with her this morning with her, and her name is Caroline. And she comes over here and has a group with us on Tuesday morning 9:15 to 9:30 lasts to 10:30. And she's well with it, and she does a good job. We proud of her. And we really do like her and enjoys her group the ones that come. Then like on Wednesday, most of the time, but it ain't been for the last two weeks, I been wondering if maybe something been coming up, like he may be working. There's another dude comes over, over here and has AA and NA class. And sometime I be in the class by myself with just him, and sometimes others around here attend, and then, you know. And he gives out our chips when you done got so far. That's where I get my chips from him instead of going out there to the other meetings out there on the outside. I just go, just wait until he come over. Go to meetings with him most of the time. And then he be explaining the steps, you know, there's 12 steps in the NA and AA, and you know, the [????], the motto, don't think you know better than nobody, and don't say you'll never go back out there and use because you just only one step, one drink, and one smoke away from the next one. And you have to go day by day and just live your life day by day. Take life as it comes and truly believe in God. And then my philosophy is believe in God and trust in the good Lord and mind over matter. And I have a strong mind, strong willpower.

UHC: Based on everything that's going on right now, like, how about in the future, how about five years from now? Like, where you do you think you'll be in life?

Michael: Where do I think I'll be in life?

UHC: Uh-hmm. And what do you think will be happening?

Michael: Well, in five years from now, what, well someday, I hope to really, if my Section 8 kick in like I really want it to, and I don't get held back for my credit is pretty good, but my references. So, this place, it should give me a good reference. And...but what I'm hoping to maybe be in a little house of my own. And then, you know, be managing my bills, and maybe, maybe, maybe I may be managing my own check. Maybe have my check coming in my own name like it used to long years ago. Have my check coming in my name. Maybe get a chance to get my check coming back to my name. Get to get it coming back to my name again. And be in my own house and live a productive life, but still maybe having mental health...I'm still going to have mental health coming over to see me now. [????????] to carry me different places like the doctor and get my medicine. You know, stuff like that.