On Repeat

      At the beginning of this year my ex partner of quite a while passed away. He had several very enabling addictions, me and my community believed we could help him rise above them. I was beginning College, I had just moved to town and was renting a friend's living room. After sometime she had asked me to leave although I was under prepared, and under the impression that I had as long as I needed. So I called a friend and my friend set me up with his friend, she quickly threw me out as well. I moved in with my new boyfriend and his Dad kicked me out verbally aggressively, about half a year later without warranting predetermining factors, so now I find myself at the end of my first year of College with more lose than gain. Now that I've moved so many times this year I’ve lost most of my things, I’ve lost many friends due to COVID causing me to move to a town I don’t know anyone. Between textbooks rent and moving expenses I’m beginning to wonder how I’m expected to support myself, I have to work a two month unpaid placement on top of my job to receive my diploma. If I do not complete an unpaid placement at a Detox, Rehabilitation or long term care facility then I won’t be able to receive my diploma. Then I would have just invested a full time year of work Monday through Friday into nothing, I’ve set up several interviews and prospective conversations messages, however I don’t see myself being able to financially support myself well working for free. I had set aside a bit to support myself through the internship however moving expenses and setting in expenses have really begun to build up. In hopes of not losing my College career I’ve chosen to go ahead with doing my placement, despite the fact I really can’t afford to, I feel it’ll be an excellent opportunity for me to learn creativity in new endeavors. Pushing myself to accomplish new things in situations where the odds are less than favorable to me, is an excellent new form of hands-on learning. I’m hoping that by reading this you imagine your spouse in a situation where they are unable to fend for themselves, and others are misrepresenting them to make their narrative match their script. I’ve moved four times this year because of cigarettes, because of textbook expenses, because of poor estimates on income amounts and times and because people have changed their mind. I feel as if this experience has dampered my perspective on education for the time being, I’ve applied to dozens of scholarships and grants. I’ve leaned on the student success advisor I’ve applied to OSAP, they don’t have the necessary resources to support students in crisis. You’d hope for and expect our education system to have the necessary resources to support their students during a pandemic. Homelessness in this pandemic is going to eventually become a real issue. They do not have readily available personal protective equipment, most cities have taken precautionary measures with their available resources making the already present population hesitant. I hope that everyone takes the opportunities they see to thank their local outreach worker. Thank you for your time and consideration. I appreciate your awareness and empathy. Kind Regards & Warm Wishes.