Epilogue: A Year Later

Adam has so many more stories than he has written in this book. He surpassed his own expectations for himself, and he is proud for this. All of his previous notions about shelters and homeless people were shattered. He says through this experience, he learned that everyone really is "the product of [their] surroundings" (Shepard 212). He also learned that everyone has problems, even the people society deems as lucky. The only way to be truly successful is to look at the good of every situation. In the end, money is only paper and ink. Happiness and success are choices that are made. Anyone can be happy in any situation they are put in. To be successful, people have to be positive and dedicated and must set goals. The greatest thing he learned was that America really is the land of most opportunity. Anyone with any background can achieve success; he just has to have the right attitude. The modern American dream includes financial stability and personal happiness where you already are in life. Successful people, according to Adam Shepard, are those who acknowledge the burdens they have to carry in their lives and not only deal with them but also constantly have smiles on their faces. He suggests a list of steps to take to diminish poverty in American society. They mainly include less costly education and improvements in the government. He knows that poverty will never cease to exist, but he thinks his steps can help decrease the amount and severity of it in America. He challenges his readers to actually do something about poverty. Every little bit helps. Helping children is the most rewarding gift anyone can give. It makes the giver feel good, and it sufficiently affects the child. His hero is Derrik; Derrik got out of poverty because he had the right attitude and he worked hard. He gives the reader the choice to be assertive, passive, or completely confused. The assertive will become successful. He proves that success completely depends on one's attitude.

Chapter Sixteen: One Last Move

Unfortunately, Adam has to end his journey before the set date. His mom is diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and cannot support herself financially. Adam moves back to Raleigh and works at the Fast Company there. He packs up all his stuff before he goes and reminisces about his 9 months in Charleston. He says that his body will never get used to moving and the toll it has on him. He has $5,300 for any other project he wants to do next; he started out with $25. He sees big things for himself in his future and knows that after this last 9 months, he will be able to get through almost anything. He sees Derrik for the last time the day before he leaves. He doesn't even tell Derrick that he's moving back to Raleigh. They often talk on the phone, but Adam has trouble working without him. No one has the work ethic that Derrik has. The last stop he makes on the morning he leaves is his favorite restaurant, Mama D's Dirty South Barbecue. He tells BG who he really is and all about his project; BG is in a better place than Adam was at the beginning, so Adam encourages BG to buckle down and work hard. He knows BG has the potential to be successful. BG is excited that he is going to be in a book and he understands that the people he surrounds himself with will not help him to success. He needs to have the right attitude about success, just like Adam did. He challenges BG to get his life in order by using Adam's approach toward the attitude of success.

Chapter Fifteen: Fighting for Respect

BG and Adam's relationship begins to get strained. BG doesn't comply to Adam's standards about the use of his truck, and they disagree more each day about serious issues. BG takes it many times, and Adam asks him nicely not to. Eventually Adam get fed up and plays a few tricks on  him to get the point across: the truck is Adams, so BG needs Adam's permission to use it. BG still doesn't get it. When BG returns from one of his journeys, Adam threatens to fight him, and they have a brawl. BG beats Adam badly. Adam needs stitches but refuses to go to the hospital. BG and Adam don't talk for 3 days, but when they do, they apologize and become best friends. BG borrows Adam's car within the limits he sets and helps with different things around the house. The temperature is rising, and Adam's situation is only getting better.

The point Adam tries to prove in this chapter is that any one looking for success can not let others walk all over them. Successful people are confident and assertive but kind and genuine too. Adam shows that no one has to be as assertive as he is in this chapter, but his point is made.

Chapter Fourteen: Culture Shocked

Adam learns to look at the jobs he does and be proud of what he's accomplished. Adam's biggest accomplishment is his 18-and-a-half hour move. The woman that the house belongs to hoards everything she has ever come across. He and his 2 coworkers complete it, but it is very difficult. He now views every other move as extremely easy. In February, Adam eats 5 tacos from a taco vender. He gets really sick for a week but can't afford to go to the doctor or stay home. He works anyway. Once he gets better, Adam and BG continue their constant but friendly bickering. Their small disagreements really have no effect on their relationship. Adam is really happy during his time living with BG and working with Derrik. They always laugh together and have fun. Adam sees that all the people around him now are also really happy, even though they are barely getting by. He's not used to living on this side of town, but he likes it here. Within a couple of months, Derrik buys his own home and is extremely happy to have his first true asset. Adam finishes his project before he is 6 months in. He likes where he is though, so he continues his situation to see where it will get him. He is wise and frugal with his money. He saves it anywhere he can. Just as he gets in a really good place, tragedy strikes.

Chapter Thirteen: Winter with Bubble Gum

Adam meets Bubble Gum, Derrik's cousin. Bubble Gum needs a place to live, so he and Adam rent an apartment together. They have a love-hate relationship. Together, they rent an apartment for very cheap, fix it up, and live in it. They move in and map out where all the furniture will go. They get along for the most part, but they disagree on finances and splitting costs evenly. BG and the management of Fast Company don't always get along either. Then, BG joins Adam and Derrik's moving group. He really ruins the chemistry of the group because he is lazy. It annoys Adam. He goes home for Christmas and realizes that his future is his job in Charleston. Charleston is now his life, and he will look back on this time and think how great it was. This realization proves to Adam that life is about the journey and the goals. He sets goals and reaches them with a good attitude. Now that he has to pay his own bills, he truly understands the worth of a dollar. He and BG try to save as much money as possible by conserving electricity and natural gas. He joins a gym and makes friends, which help him relax and be happier. The apartment is clean only when BG brings a girl home. This chapter mainly shows the importance of working well with others and being able to have fun. Someone who only works and has no fun will not be successful; the other way around is true too. Adam finds a good mix of the two and encourages readers searching for success to do the same.

Chapter Twelve: Workers' Consternation

Adam really starts to love his job. His customers appreciate him, and he appreciates them. Adam, Derrik, and Mike work hard together every day on more upscale moves. Many customers feel awe toward Adam because he can lift things they can't. One day in mid-November, Jed gets really angry at the workers. None of the men are trying hard enough to keep the customers' and the company's possessions from being damaged. He fires one guy, so Adam decides he wants to buckle down and do even a better job than he has been. Jed really only cares about making money. The previous manager, Sherman, truly cared about the movers and their well-being and happiness. Sherman made Fast Company fun and desirable. It isn't like that anymore. This goes to show that having the right attitude can change work ethic completely. Sherman motivated the movers, while Jed chastises them. Adam instantly feels accepted at Fast Company when the other movers tease him about his extremely short shorts. He finally feels like he belongs, which makes him want to work harder. He and Derrik throw Mike off their moving team and are now working together better than ever. Adam begins to search for a roommate and a new apartment so that he can move out of Mickey's house. He finds Bubble Gum, and his search is done.

This chapter again stresses the fact that a positive and determined attitude is the most important part of building success.

Chapter Eleven: Movin' On Up

Adam goes to a house one day in the city and assumes it will be an easy move. He goes inside and sees that the woman that is moving has packed none of her things. It takes them until 7:30 that night to finish the job. While Adam is on the job, he breaks a toe, but he continues his work. He goes to the hospital after work and realizes that this hospital visit will cost him. He won't be able to rent an apartment as soon as he would like.He is "so ready to 'move on up,'" but he can't due to his financial condition, or lack thereof (Shepard 137). Adam planned to move out of the shelter in 2 days, but he can't since now he is not able to work. He sat around for 5 days and did nothing. He thinks about how much worse the situation could be: there could be children involved who now have no money for meals since he can't work. He is very fortunate. On his birthday, he packs his things and moves into an attic room in the house of a friend, Mickey. He decides he will live there for 2 months. Then, he will get a nicer apartment. The next Wednesday, Adam's first day back at Fast Company, he is assigned to work with Derrik Hale. Derrik has worked for Fast Company for 3 years and is the best mover in the whole company. Not only is Derrik efficient, he is also a friendly guy. On the last day he rides the bus, Adam writes a letter to the bus driver. Every day, no matter what, the bus driver greets all the riders with a smile and "Good morning." Every day, he puts Adam in a good mood, even though he probably has no idea that he does. In his letter Adam thanks the bus driver for being so extraordinary although the man is and average Joe. His smile every morning really means a lot to Adam. Because he does not ride the bus anymore, he buys a truck, which he negotiates for with confidence and cash-in-hand. He works with Derrik and Mike, another great mover, for a few days, and they decide to form a crew together. Derrik and Adam form a true friendship, in which neither truly needs the other, but they work together anyways. Adam works more than 6 hours each day and is exhausted, but he knows that is exactly what he asked for when he began this project.

Adam stresses in this chapter the importance of true relationships with others. Surrounding oneself with people who have the right attitude is just as important as actually having the right attitude. People can get through life living on their own, but living with people who genuinely care is what will make success in the end.

Chapter Ten: Adventures in Moving

Adam is assigned a partner at Fast Company. His name is Shaun Caldwell. Shaun is older and has more personality than most of the other workers at Fast Company. Adam really likes Shaun and learns all the tricks of the trade from him. He learns all about shrink-wrapping the furniture so that it does not get scratched or broken. Because Shaun is so aggressive, he and Adam go to the more affluent side of Charleston almost every day. There, the clients give better tips and have more furniture. Adam begins to feel comfortable with Shaun and tells him more about his real life than he has told others. He does not tell everything though. On day, Adam tells Shaun not to litter and to but his seat belt on. He does so in a demanding way, and Shaun obeys him. They learn to respect each other. He also acquires $80 per month in food stamps, which will really help him save money for other things, like for an apartment. He realizes that he must change and grow in order to be successful. He has to become a product of his environment in order to survive. He currently has no one in Charleston who really supports and encourages him. He has friends, but their relationships with him are not all that personal. For the first time in his life, he is truly on his own. After one his moves that lasts all day, he has to sleep outside under the stars because he has no way to get back to the shelter. As he looks up at the sky, he realizes that many people do this every night, not because they can't get to a shelter and not because they are doing an experimental project. They actually have no place to go. Shaun, his moving partner, begins to annoy Adam, Adam has to pay for money Fast Company lost, and Marco, his best friend in the shelter, left him and will never see Adam again. This week is the hardest for Adam, but he knows he must be tough and get through it so that he can be successful at the end of the year. He has to be persistent and determined not to let small obstacles hold him back from obtaining his full potential. He constantly looks toward the light at the end of the tunnel and keeps walking.

Chapter Nine: "First and Last Day"

 Finally, on his twelfth day on Charleston, a locker is available to Adam so that he does not have to carry around all his belongings with him. He gets on the bus and goes to Fast Labor. His first moving job that day is an apartment on the third level. He is determined to do well on his first task, even though it is a daunting one. He keeps a positive attitude. Curtis instructs Adam to drive to the moving site; he has never driven a moving truck before, so it is a little difficult for him. They eventually get to the apartment and load all of the client's possessions onto the truck. It is a successful move, and Adam realizes that even though he is not as strong as the other movers, he does not stop. He is persistent in his work. Adam is relieved to know that he know has somewhat of a schedule. He spends his afternoons walking around the city or going to museums; he does anything that is free of charge. He keeps his intentions good. He does not go out late partying and drinking. He knows that will only hurt him in the end. His goal is to be financially successful by the end of the year, and he allows nothing to stand in his way. Adam and his fellow shelter-mates do not care about what other people think. They do not try to impress others or try to hide their living situation. There is a lot of chaos going on at the shelter, but Adam keeps his eye on the prize: his continuation of his job at Fast Company and his financial success.

In this chapter, Adam reminds the reader that he should always stay focused. He doesn't get distracted when others do and he stays hard working and determined at his job. This is the one way to become financially successful.

Chapter Eight: Put Up or Shut Up

Today, Friday, Adam is determined to talk to Curtis McNeil, the manager at Fast Company. Adam wants the job, and he knows he has to be aggressive to get it. When he gets to Fast Company, he finds out from the receptionist that Curtis is away again. He decides to wait at the office until Curtis comes back. Curtis tells Adam that he has enough workers and there are not any open positions. Instead of walking out of the office, he demands Curtis's attention and a position at Fast Company. He says that although he has no experience, he is way more dedicated and persistent that any of the men Curtis has now. As soon as Adam finishes his speech on why Curtis should hire him, Curtis gives him a job. Immediately Curtis and Adam test drive one of the moving trucks that Adam will be driving. That Sunday night, Adam talks with a man at the shelter. He realizes that even though many men at the shelter are the typical hobos who are only interested in their next paycheck so that they can get drunk, many more of the men have just had bad luck and are trying to get themselves on their feet once again. His job starts on Monday, and it had only taken him 10 days to find it. His job will be hard work, but he is in for the ride.

This chapter focuses on the attitude needed to find a job. Employers want people who demand attention and can prove that they are hard workers. He also encourages the reader not to judge anyone in a homeless shelter. While some are just lazy and selfish, most of them are on a rough path and are just trying their best to survive. Overall, Adam wants his readers to know that one must have the right attitude in order to get a job in which one can be promoted and a job that will pay enough to live on.

Chapter Seven: Job Hunting 101 with Professor Phil Coleman

Phil Coleman, one of the crazy men at the shelter, decides he wants to find a job. Adam chooses not to follow Phil in his journey to find a job because he would get nothing done on the way. Instead, Adam goes back to EasyLabor to earn some money. He gets a job at a construction site and makes it back to the shelter by 5:00 to meet with his caseworker, Kazia. Kazia's job is to help Adam and her other clients to get their own jobs and to get back up on their feet. She is there to listen to Adam's made-up story about his completely dysfunctional family. She teaches him how to budget and where to go in the event of a medical emergency. After his meeting, he meets with Marco at the library. Marco is really upset because he has tried to sign up for some classes at the local college, but he can't afford it so the college does not allow him to attend. Everything he tries to do to make his situation better fails. At dinner, Adam meets a man named James, who talks about a woman he has seen on the street. Every day she holds up a sign that says she will mow lawns for money. One day, she was gone. He thinks she had the right attitude and had gotten a place to live from all the money she had worked so hard to earn. James and Adam realize that she had the right attitude to get out of her situation.She worked hard and didn't give up. A few days later he calls Fast Company and leaves a message, letting the moving company know that he will be calling the next day. He calls the next day, but the manager, Curtis is still not at the office. At lunch that day, Phil Coleman, the crazy guy, suggests to Adam that he is getting no job offers because he is not aggressive and confident enough with the companies. Adam decides that to get a solid job that will pay enough to live on his own, he needs to be self-assured. He must go down to Fast Company and politely demand a job.

In this chapter, Adam tells the reader that to get out of any bad situation, one needs to be aggressive and determined. He constantly keeps his eyes on the ultimate goal: to live in his own apartment and have a stable job. Through this, he encourages his readers to be persistent in their journeys to wealth. Overall, the point is that one must have the right attitude to become successful.

Chapter Six: Hustle Time

Adam really begins to take advantage of the bus system. It goes anywhere he needs to go. On this hot August morning, he first goes to Goodwill to get some new clothes. After he shops for a while and get some incredible deals, he goes back to the shelter for lunch. There, he hears about a moving company called Fast Company. It probably has a job opening. That afternoon, he goes to Fast Company. He fills out a job application, but the manager is not there. He waits for an hour to see the manager then leaves. He is frustrated. He goes back to Crisis Ministries. All the men there have a great sense of humor. Their jokes and lightheartedness keep them going. Adam realizes he needs to be with the men on their cigarette breaks if he wants to make friends with them. If he becomes friends with the men who know a lot about the town and jobs and have a lot of experience in Charleston, he can learn from them. He does not smoke; however, he goes outside for the smoke break at the shelter that night. He gives the men cigarettes that he has bought. He sees his first drug deal during the smoke break he goes to, and he is horrified. After the break, he checks his phone messages at the reception desk, but he has none. He realizes he needs a job, and the only way to get one is to be aggressive and confident. His plan is to work hard to get a job at Fast Company and to work his way up the ladder there.

Chapter Five: Sundays with George

Adam begins getting use to living as a homeless and jobless man. Sunday is the day to relax for all the men at Crisis Ministries. Many me go to church on Sunday; some only go there for the free clothes and meals. For Adam, Sunday is one more day to work and to make money. He works for a man named George. He does odd jobs at George's house; mostly he cleans up the dog poop in the yard. He feels that each time he tosses feces in a bag, he becomes closer to his ultimate goal: to have worked his way up from the bottom and to be living on money he himself makes. He later attends a baptism at a local church where he is offered free food. He realizes Crisis Ministries is the push along the right path that many of the men there never had. The next week, Adam looks for extra money. He hears about a place that will pay people to give their plasma. He is approved and his plasma was taken. He leaves the donation center and goes to a car wash where he is offered a job. He also has gotten a job opportunity at O'Charley's. He is happy that he has a steady job planned for that next Monday.

Chapter Four: Big Babies

One day, Adam got a job in which he hung baby clothes on clothes hangers at a department store that would open soon. He and the other workers got no lunch and were thrown out of the store when the manager thought they had been stealing. They stole nothing. Adam took some sandwiches with him when he left. He feels more free to say what he wants and act how he wants than he ever has before. He has no good or bad reputation to uphold. As he and his friends are waiting for their ride back to Crisis Ministries, Adam decides that he and his friend Marco will move out of Crisis Ministries soon and get their own apartment together. Adam realizes that if they want to stay out of the shelter, he and Marco must learn to budget and spend their money with frugality. This implies that Adam recognizes the importance of being thrifty and saving money. In order to get an apartment, he must save up his money instead of blowing it all as soon as he earns it. When he gets his money for the day, he receives a mere $14. He worked all day for less than minimum wage. He is disappointed that he worked so hard, but he knows he must save it and work just as hard the next day.

Chapter Two: EasyLabor and Chapter Three: Another Day, Another Dollar

Ann, one of the workers at Crisis Ministries, wakes up all the men and attempts to get them out the door. Before the men have breakfast, they are required to clean the room where they slept the night before. The men, including Adam, leave early so that they do not have to clean. Adam then goes to a class that Crisis Ministries puts on and requires all it's guests to attend once during their stay there. He learns that doctors and psychiatrists come to make sure all the guests are healthy and "each guest [is] assigned to a social worker that help[s them] to identify what exactly had gone wrong in [their] lives and what type of plan [they] needed in order to return to a self-sufficient lifestyle" (Shephard 33). He realizes how the shelter actually is trying to help the men get back on their feet and that he needs to get a stable job soon. He wanders around town and goes into shops and restaurants where he fills out job application forms all afternoon. Exhausted, he comes back to the shelter that night and makes friends with some of the guests.The next day, he goes to a company called EasyLabor. EasyLabor employs anyone and everyone and gives them mindless, exhausting jobs that require no prior experience and pay right around minimum wage. His job for the day is at a construction  site. As he is working, he gets a job offer from a man there. The job is every Sunday all day doing manual labor. Adam accepts. The message Adam tries to convey in this chapter is that even if you have gone broke, with the help of a good guide, such as Crisis Ministries, and a strong work ethic, anyone can get back on his feet. It just takes hard work and dedication.

(Sorry these two chapters are in the same post! I didn't realize they were two separate chapters for some reason until after I had completed all of the project. Neither chapter was very long at all.)

Chapter One: Welcome to Crisis Ministries

Adam takes a train to Charleston, South Carolina. No one greets him when he gets there. He's walking around town and seeing all the poor and homeless people on the street. He walks 8 miles to the homeless shelter, Crisis Ministries, and almost gets beat up on the way. When he gets there, Sarge Mendoza takes Adam under his wing and shows him around Crisis Ministries. There are many rules to keep all the men in line. The one nice room is only for war veterans, so Adam has to stay in the grungy room where all the men are snoring loudly. The bathroom that Adam is permitted to use smells awful and looks like it has never been cleaned. Sarge shows Adam an extra spot on the floor where he can stay the night. Adam's goal in this chapter is to describe the nastiness of homeless shelters to people who have never been in them. By describing this typical urban homeless shelter, Adam shows his readers that it takes the right attitude and acceptance of surroundings to work one's way out of the slums and into wealth.

Introduction: July 24-Setting Up

Adam Shepard starts out as a recent college graduate. His goal is to start off his career having almost nothing. He takes a train to Charleston, South Carolina and only brings with him the clothes on his back, an old gym bag, and $25. He wants to prove to America that anyone can become wealthy if he has the right attitude. He will live like this for a year. He will stay in a homeless shelter for as long as he needs. At the end of the year, he says he should have: $2500, an apartment, and a job that can turn into his career. In this introduction, he releases the claimer that he is not saying it is easy to get rich. It takes hard work and dedication, but anyone can do it if he is willing to try.