Meet Bob
Originally, when I first heard about Bob, I was told he was a strange man, a hoarder and someone who portrayed himself as a vagrant. And, to a point, it was all true. Bob was a hoarder and was once a man who would have been legitimately classified as a vagrant. But, all for good reason.
Wanting to follow in the footsteps of his father, who served in WWI, Bob made it his ultimate goal to one day serve in the worlds greatest military. As just a teenager, Bob enlisted himself into the Army and was immediately sent to fight in the Vietnam war. War was exactly what Bob expected. At the same time, the war was much more than he expected. Seeing some of the most horrifying scenes a man could possibly witness, Bob's mind began to become unhealthy. Soon, Bobs dreams of living up to his father's standards fell through. Bob was medically discharged from the Army for psychosomatic mental disorders and sent back to San Antonio, Texas. With a son living across the country and no other family around him, Bob found himself homeless and nowhere to go. So, that’s when his journey began. Bob collected what little items he had- a guitar, some boots, and a weathered sack of clothes- and began walking. With no plan in mind, Bob began heading west. He walked nonstop, hour after hour, day after day. Inching his way through Texas, Bob traveled, by foot, all the way to several parts of New Mexico- Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, etc. Along the way, Bob stumbled across countless items that he fell in love with. Never wanting to let these items go, Bob would take whatever money he could find, and send the items to his son back in Virginia. Bob had no clue the number of items he had sent back home. After ten years of travel, Bob became a weary traveler, and his feet grew tired. Wanting to return back to a civilized life, Bob called his son in Virginia looking for a place to stay. With a family of his own, Bobs son had no room for him. However, his son had a gift for him. His son told him, “just get back to Texas,” and provided him with an address to follow. Once again, Bob began walking. Finally, Bob had made back to San Marcos, Texas. When he got to the address his son provided him, he saw an old beat up house. As he walked around the house, he began to recognize all the items surrounding the house. Old radios, pictures of people he had met, and many other weird knick-knacks he had collected. Confused as he was, Bob decided to knock on the door. To his surprise, his son opened the door to welcome him home. To his home; a home filled with all of the belongings he collected over the fourteen-hundred mile, ten-year travel.
Today, Bob could not be happier. He lives in the house his son gifted him, but he does it his way; No electricity. Only running water, a few solar powered lamps, and the guitar that hung from his shoulders the past ten years.
Wanting to follow in the footsteps of his father, who served in WWI, Bob made it his ultimate goal to one day serve in the worlds greatest military. As just a teenager, Bob enlisted himself into the Army and was immediately sent to fight in the Vietnam war. War was exactly what Bob expected. At the same time, the war was much more than he expected. Seeing some of the most horrifying scenes a man could possibly witness, Bob's mind began to become unhealthy. Soon, Bobs dreams of living up to his father's standards fell through. Bob was medically discharged from the Army for psychosomatic mental disorders and sent back to San Antonio, Texas. With a son living across the country and no other family around him, Bob found himself homeless and nowhere to go. So, that’s when his journey began. Bob collected what little items he had- a guitar, some boots, and a weathered sack of clothes- and began walking. With no plan in mind, Bob began heading west. He walked nonstop, hour after hour, day after day. Inching his way through Texas, Bob traveled, by foot, all the way to several parts of New Mexico- Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, etc. Along the way, Bob stumbled across countless items that he fell in love with. Never wanting to let these items go, Bob would take whatever money he could find, and send the items to his son back in Virginia. Bob had no clue the number of items he had sent back home. After ten years of travel, Bob became a weary traveler, and his feet grew tired. Wanting to return back to a civilized life, Bob called his son in Virginia looking for a place to stay. With a family of his own, Bobs son had no room for him. However, his son had a gift for him. His son told him, “just get back to Texas,” and provided him with an address to follow. Once again, Bob began walking. Finally, Bob had made back to San Marcos, Texas. When he got to the address his son provided him, he saw an old beat up house. As he walked around the house, he began to recognize all the items surrounding the house. Old radios, pictures of people he had met, and many other weird knick-knacks he had collected. Confused as he was, Bob decided to knock on the door. To his surprise, his son opened the door to welcome him home. To his home; a home filled with all of the belongings he collected over the fourteen-hundred mile, ten-year travel.
Today, Bob could not be happier. He lives in the house his son gifted him, but he does it his way; No electricity. Only running water, a few solar powered lamps, and the guitar that hung from his shoulders the past ten years.
