There's no doubt that Nick realizes he probably should have stayed working at the lime plant and plied his musical sideline part-time until he actually made it big enough to call it quits on his "bird in the hand."
Hindsight is always 20-20.
But since childhood, Americans are inculcated (indoctrinated?) to "chase the dream" and one cannot fault Nick for trying to grab a bigger piece of the pie.
Unfortunately, Nick, like so many others, discovered that the pie had all its filling removed by manufacturing robots and what was left was outsourced to a third world country, leaving Nick with nothing but some old, dried out crust.
Nick and family is definitely not alone in their suffering. There's no consolation in hearing this for the Hill family, of that I'm pretty sure. But hopefully, as those folks who've spiraled down into homelessness from firmly middle-class backgrounds and lifestyles are able to recover some semblance of their former lives, they will remember just how difficult it was to extricate themselves from their situation.
They will remember that they couldn't find any help at all from those agencies and programs they'd been hearing about, mostly in negative terms from conservative talking heads who look to reduce government spending on the backs of the poor. They will remember that while living in the shelters, they never saw one "wefare queen" in a cadillac. They never saw anyone who could game the system effectively enough to make the effort it would take to pull off fraud - and the penalties one would pay if caught - worth it to do so.
They will remember the dirty looks, snide comments, embarrassment, marginalization, ostracism from the community they supported and participated in prior to their homelessness.
They will remember searching for a bathroom and discovering that most places ban access to people who appear "homeless."
Oh yes, they are going to remember these things, and many more of the travesties thrust upon them by a community that views homeless individuals with the same disdain as sexual offenders and child killers.
And they will be angry.
My hope here is that they will channel this anger right to their nearest voting booth and work to end the assault on the poor that is being promulgated by our federal government's current crop of losers, wealthy white men behind the scenes and the lobbyists for corporate advancement.
They are going to be a force to be reckoned with, that you can be sure of....
Families not immune to homelessness
The Hill family, originally from Birmingham, Ala., is currently living at Roy's Desert Resource Center in Palm Springs because they are homeless. Father Nick and mother Lydia are 30, sons Isaac and Jacob are 8 and 4, and daughter Novaylee is 2. Volunteer Hap Blaisdell, who has been working with homeless people for four years says these bright young faces are the new faces of the homeless. / Chris Rockwell special to the Desert Sun
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Chris Rockwell of Idyllwild comes to the Coachella Valley on weekends to help the homeless and is the founder of “Helping the Homeless Now.” On Mondays, The Desert Sun is featuring profiles he writes about the homeless people he meets.
This is the Hill family. Father Nick and mother Lydia are 30, sons Isaac and Jacob are 8 and 4, and daughter Novaylee is 2.
Originally from Birmingham, Ala., the Hills are living at Roy's Desert Resource Center in Palm Springs because they are homeless.
Volunteer Hap Blaisdell, who has been working with homeless people for four years, says these bright young faces are the new faces of the homeless.
In Birmingham, the Hills owned their home and enjoyed a good life. Nick worked at a lime plant for seven years. Lydia was able to stay home and be a mother.
After realizing he had worked his way up in the company as far as he could and thinking he had a good chance at making it in the music business, Nick decided to quit his job and pursue his passion. Lydia supported his decision.
Apparently, Nick has talent. He said he was on American Idol. Although he didn't make it on TV, this got his hopes up and maybe gave him a false sense of potential and ease of getting into the music business.
He started playing in clubs and found some gigs. But they didn't pay well enough and after a short time, the Hills lost their home to foreclosure.
They moved in with Nick's parents. He continued to play music, trying to earn money. He needed to reach out farther to work more, which took him away from his family, sometimes for weeks at a time.
This was a stressful time for the Hills, especially for Lydia.
They moved to Lydia's sister's home in Vacaville, where they felt Nick would have a better chance at pursuing a career, Unfortunately, it never materialized.
Nick and Lydia have learned a lot since they left Alabama. They now see that Nick quitting his job may not have been the best decision. He says he is determined to do whatever it takes to provide for his family now.
Nick is able. He says he's about half way to a degree in business management/marketing, maintaining a 3.6 GPA. He has experience in construction and heavy equipment operation. He is well-spoken and quick with a smile.
Since they've been in Palm Springs, Nick has submitted more than 100 resumes but has heard nothing back.
Nick and Lydia want nothing more than to be thriving on their own. With a job, combined with low income assistance for rent and utilities (if necessary), they could pull themselves out of homelessness and become self-sufficient again.
It's hard to see anyone be homeless, but especially these beautiful young faces full of life and promise.
Maybe we need to start thinking differently about homeless people overall, but specifically about people like the Hills and do what we can individually and as a society to help make sure that the family unit, the backbone of this country, does not become the new face of homelessness.
